Ka¯inga Ora cops criticism over rat-infested house in South Auckland
Ka¯inga Ora is in the firing line over a rundown property in South Auckland, which has recently been gutted by a fire, has rubbish strewn over the property and become a breeding ground for rats.
A nearby resident, who does not want to be named, said she had made between 10 and 15 complaints about issues with the tenant and the state of the property since mid-2020 and nothing has been done.
Daniel Newman, who represents the Manurewa-Papakura ward on the Auckland Council, says the property is a disgrace.
Since the fire it had become a breeding ground for vermin and a haven for illegal dumping, he said.
He has complained to the Ka¯inga Ora chief executive, Andrew McKenzie, requesting 55 Aarts Ave in Manurewa be cleaned up as soon as Auckland moves to level 3.
Ka¯inga Ora Counties Manukau regional director Angela Pearce said the house had been severely fire damaged, vacant since May and work had now begun to remove the rubbish and secure the site.
The resident said the mess, which includes ripped lounge furniture on the footpath, had been an eyesore for more than a year. “It has been an ongoing problem with the tenant.”
She said since going to Ka¯inga Ora on June 12 last year and speaking to a property manager, making numerous complaints, “nothing has been done to the property and it just gets worse . . . I just feel Housing NZ [Ka¯inga Ora] just don’t care.” She said it was a good street with nice neighbours who look out for each other.
In Newman’s letter to McKenzie, he said Ka¯inga Ora was free to demolish and
redevelop their properties and has been at the vanguard of increasing the supply of social housing in Auckland.
“What I do not accept is the apparent willingness of Ka¯inga Ora to ignore fair requests by neighbours who have reportedly advised Ka¯inga Ora on numerous occasions that [the house] was a problem for numerous reasons.” He said Ka¯inga Ora defined what makes a good neighbour — considerate, tolerant, concerned, responsible and law abiding — but questioned how the housing provider met or exceeded these principles in relation to Aarts Ave.
Pearce said until councillor Newman wrote to the housing agency, it had not had any complaints about dumping on the site since it was vacated, but had received complaints while it was occupied related to antisocial behaviour.
Several of the complaints were referred to police as they involved claims of criminal activity, and Pearce said the team could have acted more swiftly to address concerns.
Pearce said contractors sent in to clean up the site within level 4 rules estimated would take until at least yesterday to remove and secure the site with temporary fencing.
Ka¯inga Ora is looking at redevelopment options for the site and no 57 next door.
Charity and secondhand shops around the country are also becoming dump sites as people bag up and box unwanted goods and leave them outside shops in the rain.
Auckland Council waste solutions general manager Parul Sood said people caught illegal dumping, and that includes leaving items when a shop is closed, face instant fines of $400 and on successful prosecution, up to $30,000.