MOULD GROWS IN EVERY ROOM
There are three blankets on Eseta Ilaoa Aita’s bed and winter hasn’t even arrived.
Part of her state house in Lower Hutt is sinking into the ground, pulling joins in the timber apart and opening gaps that let moisture and the cold in.
‘‘People shouldn’t have to live like this,’’ says her sister-in-law Sadie Stuart as she wipes the wall with a tissue. Black spores perfectly trace her hand beneath.
Stuart said Ilaoa Aita, who has a mental disability, had been living with the mould for years and landlord Ka¯inga Ora had been dragging its heels since Stuart got involved to resolve the situation more than 12 months ago.
Stuart fears her sister-in-law’s already fragile health will suffer if nothing is done soon. ‘‘She can’t go another winter in here.’’
She said stop-gap fixes and patch-up jobs had been done over the years – including contractors painting over mould in the bathroom. Apart from recent drainage work, no attempt had been made to fix any of the problems.
The sinking wall was opening gaps in the side of the house and in the roof. ‘‘As the house has been falling in, the holes have been getting bigger.’’
The state of the Naenae house was unacceptable, she said.
‘‘Private landlords wouldn’t get away with this. There’s mould in every room of the house – it grows on clothes hanging in the wardrobe and in the drawers.’’
Stuart said the issues not only had the potential to affect Ilaoa Aita’s health but also had a financial impact. Running a heater and dehumidifier during winter dramatically pushed up her electricity bill.
Stuart believed Ka¯inga Ora had not addressed the problems in the past because of her sisterin-law’s inability to speak up for herself, and she worried other people were being forced to live in substandard conditions.
Ka¯inga Ora Wellington regional director Greg Groufsky said the housing provider had been working through the issues since late last year.
‘‘The wellbeing of our tenants is our top priority, and we are keeping in regular contact with our tenant and their support . . . around the work being undertaken as quickly as possible to improve and upkeep the home.’’
Of the recent drainage work, he said: ‘‘We anticipate this will reduce issues with the dampness of the home.’’
Groufsky said Ka¯ inga Ora was assessing what could be done to improve the overall quality of the property with large-scale refurbishment work.