Community solutions are the answer to health inequities, Whānau Centre says

Health inequities don’t have to be permanent, but change only happens when communities are given the tools to lead it.

So says the Porirua Whānau Centre, a Kaupapa Māori organisation that has been supporting whānau throughout the greater Wellington region since 1994.

The Whānau Centre’s work is given fresh urgency by a new report from the Public Health Advisory Committee, Determining Our Future.

While the report highlights national gains in life expectancy, reduced child poverty, and lower smoking rates, it also warns that many inequities are deepening.

Housing insecurity, food hardship, mental distress, and poor environmental conditions continue to affect thousands of families.

For Tumu Whakarae / CEO of the Porirua Whānau Centre, Liz Kelly, these findings are no surprise.

“Our community lives these statistics every day,” Kelly says.

“We see whānau working hard but still unable to afford safe housing, enough food, or the support they need for their wellbeing. The numbers in the report are real people in Porirua.”

What sets the Whānau Centre apart is its holistic, on-the-ground response.

By offering food parcels, housing assistance, early childhood programmes, youth mentoring, and support for seniors, the Whānau Centre provides practical help while strengthening resilience across generations.

“The solutions don’t just come from national policies or simply giving people a handout, they also come from communities themselves,” Kelly says.

“When organisations like ours are resourced to do the mahi, we can prevent hardship before it becomes a crisis. That’s how inequities are reduced.”

The Determining Our Future report calls for urgent, system-wide action.

Kelly says the Whānau Centre and its programmes demonstrate what that looks like at a local level: trusted, culturally grounded support that lifts wellbeing across the whole community.

“Our whānau deserve the chance to thrive, not just survive,” Kelly says.

“With the right support, we can help our communities up to help build a healthier, fairer Aotearoa.”