12 September 2018

News that the family living in an Auckland ‘swamp house’ have been evicted for daring to speak out further proves the need for a housing Warrant of Fitness (WoF) in Aotearoa.

“This family were paying $520 a week to live in a house that had drainage issues that created swamp like conditions, causing dangerous mould”, Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson said today.

“They dared to speak up and now they’ve been issued a 90 day eviction notice, creating uncertainty for that family with two small children.

“On top of that, Auckland council only intervened with the horrendous and dangerous conditions of the house once it had been revealed to the media, demonstrating ad hoc checks that aren’t sufficient.

“You can’t lease or sell a dangerous car to anyone in New Zealand, there are warrant of fitness checks for that.

“To be able to lease a house that is life threatening to a family with children under four years old is not acceptable. Everyone deserves to live in a dry, warm, healthy home.

“To argue against this is to defend the minority of landlords doing the wrong thing and putting families at risk of life threatening respiratory illness caused by mould.

“The Green Party will continue to push for a housing Warrant of Fitness so that everyone has a warm, dry, healthy place to call home”.

Ngā mihi nui,

ends

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