December 04, 2018
Meth compo not fit for purpose
JOHN MINTO INTERVIEW CLICK HERE
A veteran social activist is calling on the housing minister to pay true compensation for the costs of the previous National Government’s punitive methamphetamine testing regime.
Housing New Zealand this week has started paying out to former tenants who were evicted because of tests that have now been recognised as set at levels far lower than would amount to harmful contamination,
So far only only 300 of the estimated 800 tenants have been found, and the 55 settled with so far have received average $7735.
John Minto from the Social Housing Action Network says that doesn’t compensate for the extra costs they faced in losing homes and possessions, or for the social humiliation and even having their family broken up.
"Many of these people have ended up on the streets, they ended up in the most appalling situations, couch surfing, one woman 23 different homes she has stayed in since she was evicted by Housing New Zealand two years ago. The government is always prepared to compensate farmers, compensate the rich when they lose money through no fault of the government, but when it is the government's fault, no, they are refusing to give reasonable compensation to these people," he says.
Mr Minto says the Government seems scared of being attacked by National if it gives fair compensation.+
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