We are calling on the Whangārei District Council to immediately halt the eviction notice set for October 8th at the old boys' site, and instead partner with the community to establish Project Shelter 2026 initiated by Jesus Is Lord Barbershop —a managed, dignity-first emergency shelter pilot for our whānau living rough across our town.

​The Story / Why this matters:

Let's make one thing clear—this isn't just about a housing market debate. This is purely about our whānau living out on the streets right now, not only up at the old boys' site, but all across Whāngarei. They have nowhere safe to exist.

​The Council has issued 10-day eviction notices and pointed to safety reasons under their bylaws. But let’s expose the truth: leaving vulnerable whānau out on the street in tents with no running water, no toilets, and nowhere safe to sleep is the biggest safety risk of all. Under the Local Government Act 2002, the Council has a strict legal duty to look after everyone's health and safety. You cannot claim you care about safety while manufacturing a crisis and throwing people into a freezing, unsafe environment.

​If the Council claims a specific building isn't available, they can't hide behind that excuse. The Council owns and controls empty, idle buildings across this district. They need to unlock an empty building or let us set up the pods at the old boys' site.

Jesus is lord barbershop-​Project Shelter 2026 is set up as an emergency pilot to get things moving right away, with a focus on real care and using our own trusted networks rather than tick-box funding games. Sign this petition to stand with our whānau, stop the eviction deadline, and demand real solutions now.