Pregnant Auckland mum waits two months for Kāinga Ora home

Wednesday, 2 October 2019

A heavily pregnant mother of two says she isn't receiving the support she needs as she waits months for a new state home.

Anna*, 26, was living in a Kāinga Ora (previously known as Housing New Zealand) property in West Auckland for three years until violence forced her to move out at the end of July.

She went to a women's refuge for two weeks after allegedly being assaulted by a group of people at the property. She was then put into emergency housing.

Two months on, she is still waiting for a new Kāinga Ora house.

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Anna, who is eight months pregnant, said the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) had put unnecessary stress on her by requiring her to search for a private rental while in emergency housing.

She said MSD was well aware she was waiting for a Kāinga Ora property and she couldn't afford a private rental.

Her midwife has written a letter, seen by Stuff, that explained she had a high risk pregnancy and her lack of housing could worsen her health.

'I keep trying to tell them that I can't look for private [housing] because of my situation,' Anna said.

'I'm just about to have my baby and we both have medical conditions. I'm on blood thinners and there's something that they've found in her liver so it's kind of making it difficult for me to get around and do everything that [Work and Income] has required of me.'

Anna also has two other children – a daughter, 6, and a son, 3. Both were suffering problems with their ears and needed grommets, she said.

She feared she would end up on the streets if MSD chose not to extend her stay in emergency housing: 'I don't have anywhere to go.'

Figures released to Stuff in 2018 showed the average wait time for public housing was 121 days.

Ministry of Social Development regional commissioner Mark Goldsmith said Anna and her children were one of many families with high needs waiting for public housing at a time when homes were in short supply.

'Since [Anna] came to us after leaving her public house in August, we've made sure her family has somewhere warm, dry and safe to stay.

'We'll continue to work closely with Kāinga Ora and our other community housing providers to help [Anna] find a public house that meets her needs.'

Auckland Action Against Poverty said situations such as Anna's were a product of chronic underfunding.

Spokesman Ricardo Menendez-March said despite the Government building more state homes, it wasn't building enough for the sheer number of people on the waiting list.

He said he saw a lot of people like Anna who were living in conditions that simply weren't good enough for their situation.

Kāinga Ora area manager Karen Hema said Anna's situation was complex 'for a variety of reasons that are not appropriate to discuss in public'.

'There are several government and non-government agencies including MSD and ourselves who have helped, and are helping, this person and family be safely and securely housed in the right-sized property.

'Kāinga Ora will be offering our tenant a new home shortly.'

Police confirmed the assault was being investigated and 'strong lines of enquiry' were being followed.

*Name has been changed to protect identity