Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
Struggling to find a home
‘‘Having a place to call home is looking so bleak. You don’t feel like you have a purpose.’’
A Marlborough woman has been left ‘‘frustrated’’ and ‘‘saddened’’ after not being able to find permanent housing.
When Shana Materoa, returned home to Blenheim from Christchurch about a year ago she managed to find a house to board in.
However, after struggling to get on with her flatmate, she was forced to move out.
A family member let Materoa and her partner, Christian Johnston, put a tent up in their back yard as they continued to look for housing in Blenheim.
‘‘We went to Work and Income New Zealand (WINZ) to ask for help, we were told there was no emergency housing,’’ Materoa said.
Having no other option, the pair continued living in the tent as they couldn’t find any affordable rentals either.
‘‘A house would give us the stability we both need, then we can look at employment so that we can better ourselves for the future,’’ she said.
‘‘Having a place to call home is looking so bleak. You don’t feel like you have a purpose.’’
Marlborough has long struggled with a shortage of housing.
Summit Marlborough sales manager Nadine Thomas last week said Marlborough needed more houses of all types and sizes.
Part of that struggle would eventually be mitigated as Ka¯inga Ora had applied for resource consents for 30 units in Blenheim.
Marlborough District Council chief executive Mark Wheeler said the council would continue to work with landowners and developers to provide support to assist the progress of the larger developments, including that of Ka¯ inga Ora.
Materoa and Johnston were eventually offered WINZ accommodation in Koromiko.
‘‘We were grateful for a roof over our head, but receiving a benefit and being so far out of town, money was tight,’’ Materoa said.
‘‘Why have a house we can’t afford to live in?’’
Materoa said she was forced to give up her unit as she couldn’t make ends meet.
‘‘I rang WINZ to explain my situation, they told me there’s nothing they could do as I was already getting my full entitlements.’’
She said her and her partner were forced to live in their car, which took a toll on their mental health.
They had two weeks in the car until they were offered emergency housing accommodation at the Waikawa Holiday Camp.
They were then moved to Bing’s Motel, in Blenheim, where they have been for about five weeks. Classed as ‘‘transitional housing’’ there were 40 people in Marlborough also in the same situation as at February 26, according to Ministry of Housing and Urban Development data.
People living in transitional housing pay rent of up to 25 per cent of their income, which is in line with income-related rents for public housing. The balance is subsidised to providers by
Ministry of Housing and Urban Development data.
There was 141 applicants on the housing register in Marlborough as at February 26.
Ministry of Social Development regional commissioner Craig Churchill said they knew the housing shortage was tough.
‘‘We take care of assessments for the social housing register. Shana’s current priority rating is A19 which reflects her high need,’’ Churchill said.
‘‘How quickly she is housed depends both on the need and what is available that matches that need.
‘‘We are here to help and will continue to work with Shana to provide all available assistance.’’
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