Council Tenants Support Direct Action To Stop The Sale Of Their Homes

25 Feb 2002

Pensioner and general residential tenants have indicated they support taking direct action to prevent being moved from their homes. At a lively public meeting last night, attended by over 40 people, there was majority support for the idea of withholding any rent increase, for refusing to move from their homes, and for occupying vacant units. Council tenants made up the overwhelming majority of the meeting, with Pensioner tenants, from different sites in the city, keen to organise resistance to the Council's plan to progressively sell off their homes.

As well as more non-violent direct forms of action, the meeting agreed the importance of letter writing to councillors and MPs, as well as getting help from professional sources.

Tenants and supporters will be protesting outside the Town Hall from 5.30pm on Thursday 28th February before the full Council meeting at 6pm. Councillors are expected to ratify the sales strategy for the remaining general residential properties agreed by the Finance and Corporate Business Committee last Thursday 21 February. Tenants will only be guaranteed a tenancy until March 2003.

"This Council has no mandate for selling off its housing stock. Aucklanders are already experiencing great hardship in finding affordable accommodation. Auckland Citizen and Ratepayers Now councillors under the leadership of David Hay, along with the support of the Mayor John Banks, are clearly more interested in supporting the property speculators rather than the well being of ALL the residents of Auckland."

Ends

For further information contact: Sigrid Shayer, Spokesperson for the housing meeting, Ph/fax 3611517, sigridshayer@ezysurf.co.nz, 12/7 Hayden Street, Freemans Bay

And Maureen Alexander, spokesperson for the pensioner tenants at the meeting: ph 378 9139

Attached are the resolutions to be ratified.

The meeting was held on Sunday 24th February at Freemans Bay Community Centre, at 7pm.

Resolutions from Finance and Corporate Business Committee 21 February on sales strategy of general residential housing to be ratified by Full Council 28th Feb
(slightly paraphrased)

„h Those with at least a 3 year council tenancy to be offered their home at 7.5% less than market value, or receive a rental credit for 12 months upon entering purchase agreement (with contribution of $800 towards valuation and conveyancing fees)
„h Those units remaining after completion of sale to tenants to be offered on the open market with Housing New Zealand and 3rd sector providers being specifically invited to purchase. All existing tenants be offered protection until 31 March 2003. All other tenanted units offered for sale will be sold subject to the existing tenancies with right of the new owner to terminate the tenancy as in the Residential Tenancies Act.
„h The sales of the 12 residential properties held in Trusts will be further investigated and reported on at the next Committee meeting.
„h Tenants who qualify for Council pensioner housing should be offered accommodation in Council¡¦s pensioner units and be subject to the same assurances given to existing pensioner tenants.
„h Council will undertake an assessment of the number of pensioners and people because of their circumstances need to be rehoused, and will report back to the next meeting.
„h 12 vacant properties be approved for sale

For further details ph 3611517 - Leaflet organised and distributed by council tenants and Wake Up Auckland (a grass-roots coalition of people and groups opposed to the direction of the new Council)

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