Homeless families struggling this winter

Some Nelson families are still struggling to put a roof over their heads despite an increase in the number of available rental properties.

Rental listings in Nelson jumped by 29 per cent between February and April, according to the most recent figures from Trade Me.

But there was no sign that it was getting easier for families to find a home to rent, Maitai Valley Motor Camp manager Carol Waite said.

‘‘We’ve had some [families] that have been in here for months – they just haven’t been able to find anywhere.

‘‘The places which would suit their family, and look like they would be warm and tidy, are just so expensive. It’s tough on the people that are even in the middle earning bracket.’’

People who were sleeping in their cars were continuing to arrive at the campground, 6km east of the city centre, Waite said.

‘‘Mainly the ones with children, they end up getting a caravan. Tenting at this time of the year with children, you just don’t do that.’’

Some families weren’t getting Work and Income help to cover the cost of renting a caravan, she said. The situation was continuing to prove distressing for many.

‘‘You haven’t got a home, you’ve got children, or you’re having to live in a car, at this time of the year. Apart from the fact it’s dangerous, everybody should be able to find somewhere to live, surely.

‘‘It’s really sad, because some of these people that come through the camps are really good people, and through no fault of their own, the owners have decided to sell their houses and so they need to evict the people that are in them.’’

Competition was fierce for rental homes in Nelson earlier this year after a drop in the number of rental properties on the market. The average rent hit a record $420 a week in March, according to Trade Me.

‘‘We’ve had some [families] that have been in here for months – they just haven’t been able to find anywhere.’’

Carol Waite, Maitai Valley Motor Camp manager

The latest figures show that the median weekly rent stood at $400 in April, a 2.6 per cent rise compared to the same time last year.

Annie, who rents out a twobedroom house to a couple with a baby in the Nelson suburb of Tahunanui, said she had recently declined a suggestion to raise the rent by $15 a week.

She had been surprised to get a phone call from her property manager saying the rental agreement was up for an annual review, and suggesting putting up the rent to meet market value.

‘‘I said I don’t feel comfortable with charging them more, when we have done zero to add value to the property to warrant them paying more.’’

The property manager had seemed quite surprised, she said.

‘‘There are landlords out there who are, on an annual basis, putting their rents up. Apparently, we’re quite well under the market value . . . [but] as long as our house is paying for itself, I’m fine.’’

Annie said she knew of someone paying $450 a week for a threebedroom house. ‘‘That’s like her husband’s entire earnings just to keep a roof over their heads.

‘‘We have this property because we’ve got an 18-year-old, and we want her to be one of the few of her generation that will be able to have their own home. That’s important, that you always have somewhere to go, that you’re not having to worry about ‘When am I going to get my 90 days’ notice?’.’’