The last step before homelessness
Neighbours of a new Housing New Zealand complex say the behaviour of some is driving the community out and turning their home into a ‘‘slum’’. Joel Ineson takes a look at the impact of higher-density social housing on Christchurch communities.
The Garden City was the ‘‘test case’’. When the classic state house twisted, sank or crumbled on its foundations in the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010 and 2011, the country’s largest landlord seized an opportunity to move towards more modern, higher-density complexes to house more of those in need.
Housing New Zealand (HNZ) has commissioned the build of 26 complexes with six or more units in Christchurch over the past seven years. Nine of these have been built in the central suburb of Phillipstown.
‘‘This [shift to higher-density buildings] is driven purely by demand for state housing and our responsibility to meet that ongoing demand,’’ Christchurch area manager Fraser Benson said.
There was ‘‘high demand’’ for one- and two-bedroom units and HNZ had built more than 800 homes since the earthquakes. Canterbury was the only region to increase its state housing stock between 2012 and 2017 – by 1.6 per cent – while others dropped by between 2.2 and 45.4 per cent, according to a housing report released last month.
But some residents and neighbours believe the cocktail of various social issues coming together in homes smaller and closer together is cause for alarm, especially when mixed with a perceived lack of action by HNZ to remedy the problems.
When neighbours reported faeces was being smeared on cars and drugs and violence were the norm at an England St, Phillipstown complex, Benson met with concerned residents – some of whom had said their community ‘‘resembles a slum’’.
‘‘I think Christchurch has been a bit of a test case in some regards because we’ve really done a lot of building here . . . we’re now well above where we were in the first place,’’ Benson told neighbours and residents of the block.
But the speedy rebuild of HNZ’s Canterbury assets – more than 5100 homes were also repaired after the quakes – meant the issues were not confined to one complex in one suburb.
Homeowners and HNZ residents alike came forward, spanning from Halswell to Aranui, claiming similar issues and the same inaction by HNZ. One Mathesons Rd, Phillipstown homeowner told Benson he initially thought Press coverage of England St referred to his own neighbours.
MAPPING THE NATION
Mapping HNZ’s property records shows a sprawl of social housing across much of Christchurch, but clusters become apparent in communities like Aranui, Mairehau, Broomfield and Phillipstown.
The data is not complete or 100 per cent accurate – more than 330 properties leased by HNZ, council and private social housing are not included, for example – but helps paint a picture of how social housing is spread across the city.
More than 260 properties line the streets of north-western suburb Bryndwr, but a short walk away in more affluent Fendalton, there are just eight.
Four HNZ clients make their home in Sumner while about 270 reside in Linwood.
Benson said HNZ properties were grouped together to allow better access to the social services many of its clients needed. Properties owned in higherincome areas would often be put on the market so the money could be spent in other parts of Christchurch.
As an example, Shirley, New Brighton and Riccarton have their own Work and Income offices, along with some of the largest state housing populations in the city.
Many of the complexes, including that in England St, replaced what were once multiple sections with the classic rimuframed boxes many would envisage when thinking of a state house.
HNZ is in the process of building a 37-unit complex on Eveleyn Couzins Place South, in Richmond, to replace several 1940s homes with windows once boarded and roof tile patches where there used to be chimneys.
Moving into the warmth of double glazing and insulation could not come soon enough for Paul and Rochelle Willis.
After Paul Willis became wheelchair-bound about 10 years ago, maintaining their large HNZ section and three-bedroom property fell on the shoulders of Rochelle, who suffers chronic pain due to her fibromyalgia.
The couple put in a request and were moved into a two-bedroom flat in a 17-unit complex on Barbadoes St.
‘‘It’s so much better . . . my energy’s not exhausted and not wasted by being in here,’’ Rochelle Willis said.
‘‘By the time I used to have to do the lawns and that, I’d all of a sudden feel a wave come over me. I’d be so exhausted and so sore.’’
Now Rochelle could walk to work, and the couple enjoyed the central-city lifestyle HNZ had sought to join private developers in cultivating.
‘‘What’s not to like? Every corner’s got a cafe on it,’’ Paul Willis said.
But having warmer, more suitable homes could come at a cost to those not accustomed to living in high-density housing situations.
Having to share communal outside areas and a lack of privacy, along with the close living proximity to neighbours, were among ‘‘a number of impacts on tenants’’ moving into these situations, Tenants Protection Association manager Di Harwood said.
Harwood, who provides advice and support to renters both in private and state housing, said rent arrears, antisocial behaviours and neighbour disputes were the key issues for HNZ tenants she worked with.
‘‘Social housing is generally recognised as the last step before homelessness,’’ she said.
‘‘Other key issues we see with Housing New Zealand tenants are . . . not being able to see inside a house before having to agree to accept it, transfer requests due to neighbourhood issues or housing not meeting needs, and the changing size of families and households.’’
Higher-density state housing could work well when tenants were provided communal areas and decent private spaces, Harwood said.
Such was the case for the Willises, who had been provided a key to oversee the common room at their complex.
Now filled with their personal collection of DVDs for their neighbours to use, Rochelle said the room was ‘‘used every day’’.
‘‘There’s definitely a good community feel that we feel is settling in here.
‘‘The paper gets delivered and that gets put down there so people go in, have a read of the paper, have a few drinks and just chat to people.’’
Harwood said support for residents should not stop at amenities, and those managing the people in these complexes could benefit from upskilling. ‘‘We believe training tenancy managers in brain injury, mental health, alcohol and drugs – and employing staff who have an understanding and empathy – is crucial.’’
A COMPLEX ISSUE
Jenny* was told she and her daughter were moving to a familyfocused Housing New Zealand complex. Instead, she no longer felt it was safe for her father to visit and her daughter, ‘‘terrorised’’ by the violence, drug use and crime committed by neighbours, would not check the mail or take the rubbish bins to the kerb.
She had been in her unit since the complex opened almost four years ago and said within a year it had turned into a ‘‘cesspool’’.
‘‘Noise 24-7, drugs and gangs and fighting, police – and it’s constant.
‘‘We’ve had everything apart from, thank god, we haven’t had any deaths . . . but pretty much everything else unfortunately.’’
The only reason she and her neighbour, Karl*, felt safe enough to reveal they lived on Worcester St was because theirs was among several HNZ blocks on the same road they believed were in a similar situation.
Karl said he had been staying with friends or living in his car before he was able to move into the complex in 2015.
‘‘There’s been abuse, verbal and physical . . . there’s been yelling and screaming, carrying on, not just from some of the neighbours but also people coming on the property pissed off because they can’t get stuff or someone’s ripped them off.’’
People affected by drugs could be seen passed out in their cars, Jenny said. But complaints to HNZ – first claiming action would be taken immediately – remained unresolved. ‘‘If you go to complain they [the HNZ hotline] say there’s no-one there that you can talk to,’’ Karl said.
HNZ would not respond to the tenants’ claims, citing privacy, but provided a generic statement about the expectations of tenants.
‘‘We encourage our tenants to act as good neighbours and we expect tenants to be responsible, considerate and law-abiding.’’
Paul Willis encouraged residents in other complexes, or the neighbours surrounding the units, to try and work together to solve any issues. ‘‘I think you’ve got to have a bit of give and take. You’re a lot closer here than when you are when you’re living in separate houses, but we found that most things can be sorted out.
‘‘It’s just like an extended family in a way, here, and you’ve always got kids that play up.’’
*Names have been changed.