Politics Live Blog - ongoing OLD
'Collateral damage': Kāinga Ora evictions include 52 children
The National-led Government's tougher stance on disruptive social housing tenants has caused a jump in evictions, with 63 tenancies terminated over the past 10 months compared to 11 the previous year, and two in the last year of the Labour government. Fourteen of the 63 evicted households had children living in them and overall, 52 children were also evicted.
Kāinga Ora will make efforts to connect the evicted family with services which can help house them, but is not obliged to have a relationship with the family, nor does it track where they end up.
Child Poverty Action Group spokesperson Isaac Gunson was critical of the approach because it harmed children as "collateral damage". "They’ve lost not just their home, but also their connection to community, school, healthcare, and critically, any sense of security," he said.
"We urgently need a child-first approach to housing and welfare, one that ensures no child is left without a stable home or falls off the radar of government care."
Evicted tenants can assess support through the Ministry of Social Development, such as the accommodation supplement, and the housing broker service which connects families to the private market. However, for this to be successful, the tenant must be willing to engage with these services.
The 63 tenancies were terminated due to disruptive behaviour, according to information provided by Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka's office. Disruptive behaviour means any behaviour, act or omission done by a household member or visitor which:
- unreasonably interferes with neighbours’ peace, comfort or privacy, and their right to the quiet enjoyment of their home
- reasonably causes alarm, distress, or more than minor nuisance to others
is harassment, or threatening or aggressive in nature - poses a significant health and safety risk to Kāinga Ora employees and contractors
- Kāinga Ora considers physical violence, aggression and threatening behaviour as posing significant health and safety risks
Formal warnings for tenants whose behaviour is putting their tenancy at risk have increased by more than 600% compared to the previous financial year, with 1,463 being issued in 2024/25 so far.
About 80% of warnings – known as section 55a notices – have been first notices and 18% were second notices. Third notices, which can trigger the end of a tenancy, made up just 2% of warnings.
About 80% of warnings – known as section 55a notices – have been first notices and 18% were second notices. Third notices, which can trigger the end of a tenancy, made up just 2% of warnings.