Slippery stairs concern tenants
Senior citizens are demanding action over a safety issue at their Housing New Zealand flats in South Auckland.
Resident William Annas says he knows of at least four people who have slipped and fallen while using an internal stairwell at the Mascot Ave complex near the Mangere town centre.
Someone fell down the concrete stairs, which get slippery when it rains, as recently as February 13, Annas says.
‘‘My caregiver also slipped down the stairs. She hurt her leg and sprained her ankle pretty badly.
‘‘We’ve been saying to Housing NZ to put something on the stairs from the top landing to the bottom.
‘‘They say they can’t do anything about it, or they will try to do something, but they do stuffall.’’
Annas’s neighbour Wiki Hodgson says he slipped and fell over on the stairs late last year.
‘‘It was wet and I fell backwards. I hit my head. The stairwell is a danger point.’’
Hodgson says he’s visited the local Housing NZ office to ask for the problem to be addressed.
He wants a grippy material placed on the stairs so it’s easier for people to use them safely.
‘‘I’ve told them the stairs are too smooth. It’s as smooth as a baby’s bum.
‘‘As a group we try to keep this place tidy. We pick up rubbish.’’
Annas says they want Housing NZ to take action and soon.
‘‘We’ve had a gutsful of this carry-on all the time. We want something done about it.’’
A spokesperson for Housing NZ says the Mascot Ave complex is ‘‘well-maintained’’ residents.
‘‘It has both lifts and covered walkways and stairs with handrails either side.
‘‘However, we are aware of a run-off issue that can make some of the stairs slippery in wet weather.’’
The agency was told in late 2016 that a visitor at the complex had suffered a fall due to the slip- for its pery says.
‘‘To that end a site visit was undertaken with a contractor and possible solutions considered.
‘‘We’re now finalising the best options for fixing the problem.
‘‘A decision will be made shortly and the work undertaken soon after that.’’
The spokesperson says the tenants will be kept informed. stairs, the spokesperson