Mouldy home battle: ‘I just broke down’
Daughter furious at mother’s ordeal trying to have Housing NZ repair rotting kitchen
Aretiree battled with Housing New Zealand for months to repair a leak in her kitchen that had rotted the floor and spread mould through her cupboards.
When Maureen Ansell finally managed to sort repairs after her daughter Angela Marsh intervened, the builder found water under the sink, most of the floor and up the wall.
Marsh had to fight the agency again to get accommodation for her 70-year-old mother while her home in Inglewood, Taranaki was fixed.
“I feel disgusted, and let down,” Ansell said.
The repairs began on Tuesday, a day after the Government announced standards for heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture and drainage.
Marsh noticed dampness in the two-bedroom unit last September.
Ansell raised the issue during a property inspection in February and when there was no action she phoned Housing NZ.
She phoned customer service
again in March — and again, and again. Each time she said she was told there were no funds, no builders and that her situation was not a priority, but it was on file.
By the end of March, Ansell reached breaking point. Mould had spread all through her cupboards, under the sink and various appliances were ruined.
“I had a hip replacement, and each time I went into the kitchen it was so difficult, it was all uneven. I hated my kitchen.”
After another rebuttal from Housing NZ, Ansell went to see her daughter. “I just broke down”.
Marsh asked her mother to phone Housing NZ again, this time on loudspeaker.
What Marsh heard shocked her. “I was horrified. The operator was not even listening to Mum.”
With her mother again in tears, Marsh intervened and asked to speak to a supervisor.
Marsh said she explained the leak was a health and safety issue, that her mother could not even do her dishes and that the mould was dangerous.
“The supervisor apologised, said the call centre behaviour was not acceptable and that an inspector would be sent shortly.”
An inspector came on April 9 and told Ansell the floor and cabinets would need replacing.
“The inspector came into the kitchen and did not even walk on the floor. He was horrified,” Ansell said.
The next month the builder arrived to start work. “He pushed on the floor by the sink and his foot went through it.”
Marsh said normally she could have stayed with her and her family, but they had a “very full house” and she felt it was Housing NZ’s responsibility to look after their tenant.
“I am disgusted with how Mum has been treated.”
Housing NZ area manager said Raewyn Vooght said they were upset to hear of the problems Ansell had experienced.
“We have said we are very sorry to our tenant and her family and moved quickly to get things repaired and our tenant accommodated safely while work is carried out,” she said.
“We are looking into this situation thoroughly to understand what went wrong, when.”