Housing crisis worsens
Nelson’s housing crisis, already in full swing with hundreds of households unable to find affordable rentals, is set to be exacerbated by last week’s floods.
As of Monday morning, 15 homes had been red-stickered, meaning they have significant damage or land stability issues and should not be entered, and 108 homes have been yellowstickered and may be entered only to secure or remove items.
Saxton Stadium has been closed as an overnight facility – most of the Nelsonians left homeless during the floods took refuge with friends and families.
As households return home, there are fears that an already stretched market is going to become worse and that the financial burden for low-income families will be hard to manage.
‘‘Before the flooding, [rental housing] was extremely tight, and it will be even tighter and more dire now, given all the flooding,’’ said Nelson Tasman Housing Trust director Carrie Mozena.
‘‘If a home is deemed uninhabitable by the authorities, a landlord can issue a three-day notice to terminate the tenancy so that repairs to the dwelling can happen,’’ she explained. ‘‘Landlords would be incentivised to get their properties repaired as soon as possible, because they won’t be getting income on them until they’re repaired.’’
Costs would depend on insurance coverage, Mozena said. ‘‘It really depends on the level of the landlord’s insurance if they’re covered for loss of rent. Some landlords would have it and some wouldn’t.’’
Moving unexpectedly would be ‘‘very, very hard for someone who’s on a low income’’, she said, ‘‘so seeking support from Work and Income, is really, really crucial.’’
Before the floods, Ministry of Social Development public housing register figures in Nelson and Tasman had 426 households waiting for social housing. NTHT research indicated that an additional 485 households didn’t qualify for public housing but were in dire need of affordable rentals.
Renters United spokesperson Ashok Jacob said tenants were not liable for any damage caused by natural disasters.
‘‘If the property is damaged so as to be uninhabitable, the landlord should not be collecting any rent from it,’’ Jacob said. ‘‘Tenancy Services say that rent should be reduced as a result of damage from natural disasters.’’
Summit Property Management general manager Stewart Henry said that where houses were uninhabitable, flooded throughout, broken or on a slip, the landlord ceased to charge rent.
Henry said landlords had been ‘‘really good’’ about not charging rent on houses that had been left empty, and had inquired about the wellbeing of the tenants.
What happened next would depend on how long it would take to fix a property, he said.
‘‘If it’s going to be a long time, the tenancy will have to end. If it’s just a matter of cleaning out carpets and mud, and if it’s only going to be a few weeks, that tenancy can recommence.’’ But if repairs were extensive, such taking out walls, ‘‘that can take months and months’’.
Henry said most of the tenants he had spoken with who had evacuated or had water come into their homes were quite upset, and the agency had to be ‘‘mindful’’ of this.
It had tenants wanting to move, and others with inquiries, but the agency needed to assess the properties on its books and make sure they were still in rentable condition, he said. This wasn’t easy, as road closures and traffic congestion made it very difficult to get around.
A few of the properties Summit managed had been redstickered, Henry said. The affected tenants faced uncertainty. ‘‘It’s a matter of people knowing how long they’re going to be needing a rental for, whether the house they’ve been in is going to be impossible to go back into or not.’’
A Nelson City Council spokesperson said a number of people had contacted the council to offer accommodation on either a shortterm or longer-term basis, while others had been in touch looking for motels or similar accommodation. A spreadsheet with that information was being prepared.