March 19, 2024
Eviction shortcut to bad policy
Former associate housing minister Willie Jackson says under Labour Kāinga Ora had been attempting the tackle the problem of antisocial behaviour by state house tenants.
Current minister Chris Bishop has instructed Kainga Ora to shelve its Sustaining Tenancies Framework, which was first introduced by a previous National Government to stop people from being evicted into homelessness..
Mr Jackson says there’s no doubt some tenants feel harrassed by their neighbours, but you can’t bully the bullies into behaving better.
“Work with the authorities. Work with the different agencies. Work with the loal urban Maori authorites – we know a lt of these people. Work with some of the NGOs. If you have those relationships you are able to traverse some of that area. We were starting to break that down., They are not even looking at it,” he says.
Mr Jackson says National’s eviction policy is heartless and ruthless.