Lived Experience Lead, Housing First Auckland Backbone
Awatea Hawke
Kia ora koutou, I proudly descend from the iwi of Ngāti Whātua, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Apakura, and Ngāti Whanaunga, carrying forward a legacy deeply rooted in the cultural richness and resilience of Aotearoa. My journey of lived experience, curiosity, and interest began in 2013 when I was introduced to the transformative power of co-design. As a patron and volunteer with kaupapa-driven activities led by the Auckland City Mission and Auckland City Council, I discovered my passion for community-centered initiatives and meaningful collaboration.
For over 12 years, I have worked collaboratively with Hapaitia and was warmly welcomed by Lifewise in 2016 to co-design and launch the Housing First Homelessness Programme in 2017. During the co-design process, Lifewise provided invaluable Peer Support training, which led to my employment as a Peer Support Worker. This initiative united NGOs from housing and health sectors, as well as government entities like Kāinga Ora and MSD, to drive systemic change in delivering Housing First solutions, specifically tailored for Auckland’s CBD.”
As a Lived Experience Project Lead, my passion lies in leveraging my diverse skill sets and experience, including co-design, community-centered kaupapa, and fostering meaningful relationships. It is this passion that fueled my desire to lead lived experience initiatives, creating the right conditions for a collective impact approach. This approach focuses on designing and developing a national Housing First lived experience community workforce, as well as workforce development, in group effort with the Housing First Auckland Backbone leadership team.
