Bad houses bite back (again).
"Families are going to struggle more than ever in substandard housing”
Winter is fast approaching and with well-above-CPI increases in power costs signalled, families are going to struggle more than ever in substandard housing says the Methodist Mission.
“Power companies are again increasing their prices up North and it’s only a matter of time before we see increases of over 5% here in the South” says Methodist Mission Director Laura Black. “These increases are felt most by those living in uninsulated, close to the water-table, hard to heat, tucked into the shade, rental homes. Not only do they have the least protection from the winter cold, they have the least ability to do anything about it. And of course power companies always seem to raise their prices just as winter is coming on and family budgets are most stretched.”
While the price rises are an immediate concern the underlying problem is the poor condition of the houses that those on low incomes often live in. “We’ve long known there is a problem with the quality of the housing stock here, particularly in South Dunedin” says Ms Black. “It negatively affects overall health, the family budget, and school attendance. Until we have a warrant of fitness scheme for rental properties, that is unlikely to change.”
In December last year the Children’s Commissioner proposed a rental “warrant of fitness” – a baseline for housing including adequate insulation – and the Minister of Housing, Nick Smith promised to look into it. A 2010 housing conditions survey by BRANZ, the Building Research Association, included private rental housing for the first time and found that just 40 per cent of all the houses surveyed were in good or excellent condition.
“We need the Minister to speed up his investigation” says Ms Black “A rental WoF is urgently needed to drive up the quality of housing, for those that are most vulnerable; the aged, and the 70% of children who are living in poverty who live in rented housing. This is urgent work.”
Methodist Mission Media Release 8 March 2013