03/11/14

Harassed Tenant Takes Housing NZ to Court

Housing New Zealand tenant Ioela Rauti (Niki) will be up against Housing New Zealand tomorrow in the tenancy tribunal.

Niki became known earlier this year for successfully occupying her housing New Zealand home and extending her 90 day eviction notice another 7 months. She is taking Housing New Zealand to court for bullying and intimidation, which has occurred since the extension of the eviction. Her Taniwha street home of 21 years is eyed for development as part of a large scale gentrification plan for the suburb of Glen Innes.

Over 87 homes have been removed and many more demolished after a wave of evictions over the past three years. This has intensified since the National government's housing reform earlier this year, which opened the door to 90 day eviction notices, indiscriminate of the elderly and disabled.

Niki is a member of the Tamaki Housing Group who have been protesting the evictions, house removals and demolitions for three years. Two weeks ago activists from the group successfully halted the removal of a home from the neighbourhood by locking themselves on to the removal trucks. They will be protesting the ill treatment of State Housing tenants outside the Auckland District Court tomorrow, 4th of November from 10am.

ENDS

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