Housing crisis

We have had to endure a National Government who have deliberately destroyed Housing New Zealand as the arm of the welfare state. Housing New Zealand had the responsibility to ensure that all New Zealanders have access to affordable, appropriate, warm and dry housing as a human right.

Housing New Zealand has been the main provider of housing for those people and families who cannot afford private ownership or private rented accommodation.

This present Government under the Prime Minister, who takes his marching orders from his previous employers in Wall Street, the home of the world’s largest private banks and money lenders, is loyally carrying out their policies of privatisation of state services.

John Key and his private enterprise troops have tried to shift responsibility to the charitable sector who are being expected to provide social housing for the growing poor population.

For nearly 10 years I was a trustee of the Wellington Housing Trust. Since resigning from that position in order to concentrate on Porirua’s crisis in social housing I have been engaged with the research and action group, the Porirua Pacifika Housing Group.

We have found that there is a crisis in the Pacific communities where families have been unable to purchase housing because of crippling debts, and those families who are in Housing New Zealand homes are having to survive with up to three generations sharing a three-bedroom house.

We are also aware of the plight of single men who are now sleeping under bridges.

What is Porirua City Council doing to fulfil its mandate of protecting the wellbeing of all its citizens (today this means housing)?

Absolutely nothing. The purists in council have refused to engage in addressing this crisis because ‘‘it is the responsibility of the state’’. I thought local government was part of the state. Cannons Creek Park, in an area where children play?

The metal lid and concrete flange have been removed, leaving a deep open hole almost level with the surrounding ground.

For two months (since June 9) I have been bringing this to the notice of the council by contacting the call centre, Mr Middleton, Mr Simpson, the mayor and a written request for service.

An Eastern Ward councillor has also notified them with photographs.

On July 7 I phoned to enquire if my request for service of June 9 had been carried out.

I was informed that the stormwater head had been covered.

This was not correct, the stormwater head is still uncovered.

Since then I have put in two written complaints (July 10, July 30) regarding my request for service not carried out.

To date I’ve had no indication that these complaints have been received.

The stormwater head is still uncovered. The lid and flange are in the nearby water-race/flume being used as the base of a makeshift bridge across to the lower rugby field.

I suspect this stormwater head is in a redundant system and has not been entered on to the council computer system and therefore has become a greater hazard as they don’t know where it is to replace the cover. William Middleton, Porirua City Council manager of works operations responds:

The manhole cover was replaced but it appears it has been removed again.

We are liaising with Ms French to ensure we are talking about the same manhole and have arranged to meet at the park. We will secure the cover so that it can’t be removed again.