Nearly 600 Kāinga Ora properties have been damaged in Māngere, Auckland
Kāinga Ora will demolish a number of flood-damaged homes in Māngere but is keeping mum on how many will be demolished and where.
Some affected clients are still waiting for answers a month after the Auckland Anniversary Weekend flooding damaged 560 Kāinga Ora properties in the Auckland region, displacing many families.
Local Democracy Reporting said it understood that up to 15 houses have already been condemned.
Caroline Butterworth, Kāinga Ora deputy CEO for Auckland and Northland, said damages to its properties in Māngere are still being assessed and that the government housing agency is still speaking with affected residents about their options.
In cases where a flood-damaged home was located in an area that has already been earmarked for redevelopment, Butterworth said it might not make sense to carry out repairs.
“We have committed to rehousing all our customers who are unable to return to their homes – either because the house is too damaged or because they cannot live safely and well in their home while repairs are done because of their specific set of circumstances,” she said.
Affected tenants are given an option to move to a new home to move to, so they “can get on with their lives,” she said.
“It’s important for us that our customers hear from us first about the situation regarding their home, so we can’t provide any more details at this stage,” Butterworth said.
Kent Peni is one of the many state housing tenants affected. Peni and his children fled their Ventura St home on Jan. 28 at 3am after their property was inundated by rising floodwaters.
He said he still did not know if his home of three years would be demolished or repaired.
“We’re still waiting to hear back from Kāinga Ora,” Peni said. “Our house has been yellow-stickered,” Peni said. “It’s been four weeks since the floods, but nothing has been done to the property.”
He was already offered an option of moving to another home by Kāinga Ora but he said, “we don't want to relocate.”
Vicki Sykes, Monte Cecilia Housing Trust CEO, said Kāinga Ora will have to consider if the affected properties are worth repairing or replacing.
“Some of the older homes may have been scheduled for replacement, but if it involves any of the newer houses that’s effectively starting again,” Sykes said.
For homes in flood-prone areas, Kāinga Ora would have to consider whether it was worth rebuilding them in the same location, she told Local Democracy Reporting.
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