\Media release - Pensioners Action Group

Pensioners Organise Against Sales of Homes

6th June 2002

Between 60 - 100 Council pensioner tenants are expected at a meeting in Meadowbank at 11am on Friday 7th June to discuss action against the proposed sales of Council's pensioner units. Speakers will include Councillor Bruce Hucker, Sigrid Shayer of the Council Housing Action Group and Maureen Alexander of the pensioners' action group.

The meeting, organised by the pensioners' action group, is building on a previous meeting of theirs for pensioners in the Blockhouse Bay area and a large public meeting organised by the Council Housing Action Group, earlier in May. Strategies to stop the sales will be discussed, as well as opposition to the impending 65% rent increase.

With accommodation supplement restricted if pensioners have over $2,000 in the bank, and refused completely with over $8,000, many pensioners will find themselves paying more than 30% of their income on rent.

Maureen Alexander will be advocating that pensioners only pay 25% of their income on rent. She says, "25% of one's income is what the government considers to be a fair rent, and that is what I am going to pay. It's all that we can afford out of our very modest incomes. Anything more will bring us below the poverty line. Is this how we should treat senior citizens of Auckland?"

Of the 53 sites around Auckland City, 14 are targeted for sale within the next 4 years, effecting over 250 tenants. 4 of these sites are in the Glendowie, Meadowbank and St Johns areas and will be represented at the meeting.

The meeting will be held at the Tahapa Crescent Community Hall, Tahapa Crescent, Meadowbank, from 11am to 1pm.

For further information please contact Bruce Buttimore ph 528 4408 or Maureen Alexander ph 378 9139 (Pensioners' Action Group)

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