21-year tenant takes fight to High Court
Woman’s battle against eviction from 14 Taniwha St will continue
AGlen Innes resident fighting eviction from her home of more than two decades will take her battle to the High Court.
An Auckland District Court judge yesterday ruled against 62-year-old Ioela (Niki) Rauti and upheld an earlier Tenancy Tribunal decision to have her evicted.
But Rauti and her supporters are vowing to keep up the fight with an appeal to the High Court.
Rauti said in a statement the decision was “only a setback”.
“I don’t want to be transient, I am fighting the privatisation of state housing for the poor, sick, elderly and vulnerable.”
The former state house Rauti has called home for 21 years was handed over to Tamaki Regeneration Company by Housing New Zealand in October 2016.
In February, the Tenacy Tribunal granted a possession order to TRC.
Rauti’s home is one of 2800 former state houses TRC plans to replace with 7500 new homes over the next 15 years.
The company wants the house and land for redevelopment but Rauti has so far refused to leave, despite orders to do so and offers of alternative houses nearby.
Following the court’s decision yesterday, 30 sup- porters gathered outside the house at 14 Taniwha St.
Lisa Gibson, one of Rauti’s supporters, said Rauti was “obviously not very happy about the decision”.
She said Rauti and those who back her would stay put for “as long as it takes”.
“Niki is in her house, her supporters are outside at her house. All are sitting there waiting,” Gibson said.
The house was leased to Rauti in 1999 after the death of her mother, who had lived there since the 1980s.
She said alternative homes offered were not suitable for her needs — they were too damp or the twostoreyed homes were too difficult to access.
TRC general manager Neil Porteous said now a decision had been made the company would be working with the “relevant authorities to gain legal possession of the property”.
He acknowledged it was a difficult time for Rauti but the company had been transparent with its plans and communications with her.
“We would still welcome the chance to talk to Ms Rauti about her specific housing needs,” he said.
“We would also like to show her the property we have available for her which is approximately 500 metres away from her current home.”