Year’s wait in ‘freezing’ house
An elderly man recovering from surgery and nursing an infected leg is being forced to live in a freezing Housing New Zealand property in Lower Hutt.
Daniel Kean has lived at the Stokes Valley house since 2014 and applied to be shifted about 12 months ago citing the ‘‘bloody freezing’’ conditions inside but has yet to be moved.
Kean, 66, has been recovering from a quadruple bypass surgery he had in May and believes the conditions are slowing his recovery. His leg had become infected following the surgery.
‘‘I don’t sleep much at night because it’s too cold. I’m sick and tired of it, I’m stressed out to the max,’’ he said.
‘‘I’m at my wits end. It’s bloody freezing and I can’t take it anymore. I can’t live there.’’
The house only got sun for a short period during the day and water did not evaporate or drain away from the property making the inside cold and damp, he said.
The house was so cold Kean slept in his lounge with the heater on. The heater ran up his power bill but it was the only way to make sleeping in the house bearable.
He wanted to be moved to a warmer house in Newtown, Johnsonville or Newlands near his children. He was isolated in Stokes Valley but another house in Lower Hutt would do, he said.
Kean said he applied to be rehomed about 12 months ago and had spoken to Housing New Zealand several times but kept getting the same answer; ‘‘there’s nothing around’’.
Ministry of Social Development regional commissioner Louise Waaka said the ministry was aware of Kean’s situation and had been in regular contact. She was aware he had been stressed since being placed on the transfer register in August 2016.
She encouraged Kean to continue speaking with MSD staff so they could assist where possible.
A Housing New Zealand spokesperson said Kean’s house had been through the Warm and Dry Programme in which sub-floor and ceiling insulation, new carpet, extraction fans, a wall-mounted heater and curtains were installed.
MSD and Housing New Zealand did not respond to questions regarding the availability of suitable houses in the Wellington region.
‘‘I don't sleep much at night because it's too cold. I'm sick and tired of it, I'm stressed out to the max.’’