So far, four Kāinga Ora homes have been red-stickered and 137 have been yellow-stickered
Kāinga Ora - Homes and Communities said the 543 public houses damaged in the Auckland floods are now being assessed for repair options.
Caroline Butterworth, deputy CEO for Auckland and Northland, said only a small percentage of the properties owned and managed by Kāinga Ora - Homes and Communities in Auckland were damaged by the floods, but there is a big repair job ahead.
New Zealand’s largest provider of public housing said the repairs will need to be done on top of the normal maintenance work it does on its properties.
The majority of the flood-damaged homes were still habitable but as of Feb. 9, Auckland Council has red-stickered four Kāinga Ora homes and yellow-stickered 137 homes.
“The worst-damaged homes are unable to be lived in without significant repairs so we will find permanent new homes for those customers,” Butterworth said.
Kāinga Ora has so far been focusing on doing things like removing wet carpet and checking electrics, in preparation for a much larger repair programme to address the damage.
Repair work will be prioritised on a needs-basis, based on customers’ individual circumstances.
“Some of our customers may have a longer wait than others so we’re going to have to ask for people’s patience and understanding as we work to fix these homes,” Butterworth said.
She said the organisation will continue to provide practical support and assistance to flood-hit customers.
“We’ve been in touch with every family that we are aware has been severely impacted, but if there are any customers out there who do need help, I urge them to call us right away on 0800 801 601 or email [email protected],” Butterworth said. “We’re here to help and if our customers need assistance from other support agencies and community groups, we’ll help to connect them.”
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