“Do the right thing by your tenants”. That’s the call from Anthony Rimell, Chair of the Tenants Protection Association (Christchurch) Inc to the Christchurch City Council as they meet on Thursday 22nd August.

“I understand that Council is meeting to consider a proposal to provide the Otatauhi Housing Trust (OHT) with the funds to upgrade a number of their social housing units so they are warm, safe, dry and affordable. I urge the Council to make this a top priority.

Mr Rimell said he had met with a number of residents in their homes, and was shocked to see the sub-standard conditions.

“Too many are cold and damp. Even on sunny Winter days the walls can stream with condensation. For any landlord this would be unacceptable. For our Council’s social housing units, this is deplorable.”

Mr Rimell rejected recent assertions that most homes complied with the new codes. “One mouldy home is one too many”, he went on to say.

“When people stay in bed all day, because it is too cold to get up, you know there is a serious problem. The cold and damp conditions are a serious health risk. Add in the mental and emotional impact of watching water stream down the walls, and we have a major problem.”

Mr Rimell urged the Council to insist that the OHT Social Housing stock be 100 percent upgraded by the Winter of 2020.

“It’s the least we as a city can do for some of our most vulnerable citizens. The Government is making the elimination of homelessness a priority. The City Council must make the provision of warm, dry, safe and affordable homes the same focus”, Mr Rimell concluded.

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