Rental market ‘heartbreak’
It should be a time of celebration for Nelson couple, Nathan Te Haupai and Estella Davis.
Their third child was born just over a week ago.
But with just under two months to find somewhere to live, and very few rental properties on offer, the couple are feeling stressed.
‘‘I have a job, and we have a roof over our head, but eventually we have to move from here, and that day just keeps getting closer and closer,’’ said Te Haupai, who works on the bottling line at McCashins Brewery in Stoke.
The couple relocated from Hamilton with their two other children, aged five and seven, over a year ago.
They stayed at their parents’ home until January, when they moved out partly due to a lack of space, and into a cabin at Tahuna Beach Kiwi Holiday park & Motel.
The family was ‘‘very fortunate’’ to find a rental in Richmond the next day, Te Haupai said.
But at $420 a week, it turned out to be cold and damp, with mold. He believed the house was due to be demolished or moved and the land subdivided, after their contract ran out in May.
Trying to find another home was difficult, with viewings discouraging.
‘‘We went to one in Appleby and there were just cars lined up down the road. There were so many people in the house ... and they were all families.
‘‘You’re one of what 20, maybe even 40, trying to get that house.’’
Sometimes they didn’t even get a viewing, he said.
‘‘Beggars can’t be choosers ... [but] even without a garden, they [houses] are still really dear, like $400, and you have to park your car on the road ... and you’re looking into another person’s kitchen, from your toilet.’’
The family was not eligible for social housing as his wife also works, and was on maternity leave from Kohanga Reo where she was on the minimum wage, Te Haupai said.
The latest figures from TradeMe showed the number of rental listings in January was 13.9 per cent lower than the same time last year.
The median weekly rent had gone up from $360 to $395.
One local estate agent described the rental market squeeze as ‘‘heartbreaking’’.
‘‘I have to say ‘no’ to so many good tenants. It’s awful to think some of those people could potentially be homeless. I’ve talked to people who are living in tents.
‘‘Over summer with kids that may seem fun, but over winter it’s sure as hell not going to be,’’ said the agent, who didn’t want to be named.
‘‘There are not enough rentals for the people who have to rent and unfortunately, it doesn’t mean that those people can now buy because ... a lot of those people will never be in a position to be able to afford to buy.’’
Motueka Family Service Centre said the number of families seeking help with accommodation had increased exponentially, partly because some ex-cyclone Gita victims also needed a home.
Many people had been staying with friends and family, centre manager Lisa Lawrence said.
‘‘They’ve now run out of that goodwill and are faced with campgrounds."
The closure of McKee Domain campground after ex-cyclone Gita had exacerbated things, she said.
‘‘We’ve got people who are living in motels and hotels,’’ Lawrence said. ‘‘That’s very transient because as soon as another customer comes along they need to move units, so it’s completely unsettling for anybody who has children.’’
The advice families received from government partners like Work and Income and Housing New Zealand was ‘‘extremely limited in terms of being constructive; which is move out of the area.’’
Lawrence said the Tasman District Council appeared to be ‘‘sitting on its hands’’ on the matter, with its long term plan seemingly devoid of any emphasis on tackling the problem.
The council said its plan focused on its ability ‘‘as a medium to high growth district’’ to meet the need for residential and business development through the freeing up of land.
The council had rezoned land and changed rules to allow a greater choice of housing size and type, and was also proposing to have a lower development contributions charge for smaller households.
The Ministry of Social Development said it was working alongside a number of agencies to address the housing issues in Nelson.
‘‘We know it’s a problem and we’re putting a huge amount of effort into making more public housing available,’’ regional director Wendy Chisnall said.
Specialist emergency housing providers could help find transitional housing for people, while support was put in place to get them into long-term housing, she said.
‘‘We’re also working with some amazing community providers and the housing sector to increase the supply of housing and provide the support people need to build more independent lives.’’