Activist seeks cleanout at top
The bosses of both Housing NZ and Work and Income ‘‘must go’’, says lobby group State Housing Action Network.
The call for heads to roll follows revelations that state tenants were evicted based on claims of health risks because of meth testing. It turns out there were no health risks.
Housing NZ misinterpreted a 2010 Ministry of Health standard which led to millions of dollars being spent on needless cleaning and testing while hundreds of tenants were moved out.
State Housing Action Network convener John Minto said: ‘‘It’s evident from tenant accounts . . . that Housing NZ is infused with toxic attitudes towards lowincome New Zealanders which has caused untold suffering and needless stress for the most vulnerable . . . The same culture has been obvious in Winz for a longer time. It’s a culture of bullying and disentitlement.’’
He called on the Government to replace the boards and senior management of Housing NZ, and Work and Income. Those top managers needed to go in order ‘‘to drive a genuine and transformative culture change . . . towards beneficiaries and lowincome New Zealanders’’.
Minto also called on Housing Minister Phil Twyford to repeal the Social Housing Reform Act 2013 and to turn Housing NZ into a government department – a promise made by Labour during the election campaign.
Twyford said his priority was to drive a process of organisational change at Housing NZ. ‘‘We stopped the state house selloff, we’re now investing $4 billion in building 6400 additional state houses and I’ve directed Housing NZ to take a more tenant-centred and compassionate approach,’’ Twyford said.
Housing NZ chief executive Andrew McKenzie said it was transitioning policies and operational practices ‘‘in recognition of the fact that a focus on housing those in highest need requires us to have a more empathetic response as a landlord’’.