Ana Apatu: Flaxmere housing remains concern

Ana Apatu

We have received some exciting news. Our funding application with the Hawke's Bay Foundation has been successful. We are soon to be the proud owners of a pre-loved David Brown tractor. My mate, Kevin Bayley, put us on to Kerry at Hawke's Bay Tractor Dismantlers who generously tidied up a tired-looking David Brown, reassuring us that this tractor will be just perfect for what we want.

The tractor has forks mounted on the front. Perfect for unloading bins of (surplus) food local producers have offered for our community. JM Bostock's squash, Kevin Bayley corn, Crasborn apples and Apatu Farms onions.

We plan an event at Te Aranga Marae to thank these growers with a powhiri, history of the garden and a presentation of what we hope to achieve.

This is to be followed by lunch comprising of food from the garden.

Rex Graham has branded this project 'Kai at the Marae' - where we aim to address food security for low-income families of Flaxmere, providing free fresh produce.

But I am still really concerned about housing in Flaxmere. I continue to hear stories of families living in substandard conditions. This is a public health crisis.

Sarah Mulcahy, regional manager Hawke's Bay-Wairoa-Gisborne for Plunket, contacts me after reading one of my articles. Plunket well child nurses are only too familiar with caring for families affected by these living conditions.

Sarah provides the following statement: "Plunket says that children who live in substandard housing are more vulnerable to becoming ill."

There is significant research which finds poor housing is linked to a range of health issues for children. Living in over-crowded conditions has been linked with communicable diseases such as meningococcal disease, acute rheumatic fever and tuberculosis among children.

A recent Unicef report found that child poverty in New Zealand had only dropped by 0.4 per cent since 2008.

For families with young children living in poverty often means not having access to good quality, dry, safe, warm housing.

We're concerned at seeing families in cold, damp houses which aren't suitable for children, but with no other affordable options. We would like to see an increase in the volume of good-quality affordable family houses. Only 0.4 per cent since 2008?"

This same week, Dr Russell Wills, local paediatrician and Children's Commissioner, meets with me. Part of our discussion includes the effects of cold, damp housing on children. We discuss how we could support landlords (private) to become more aware of the benefits of improving the standards of properties. It is in the landlords' interest to ensure their house is warm, and of good quality.

It makes sense to enable the tenants to contact the landlord early if there is wear and tear with the house. Realising the economic benefits with happy tenants will support longer-term renting.

There are opportunities, such as the Property Investors Federation, who look to work in partnership with other agencies to improve the standards of their properties. This is a win-win for everyone involved. I ask Russell what else we could do collectively for the children of Flaxmere.

His expert advice was: "We need to focus on looking after the children who live in severe poverty."

Many of these families need support and advocacy with Work and Income and Housing New Zealand. Often these families need support to access their entitlements. It is important that these navigators/advocates are well trained and have good relationships with the providers of health and social services.

These navigators or advocates need to support families to move between services such as wellchild, and their general practitioner.

We listen to a health worker who supported a family with an application to Housing New Zealand. English was the second language of this family.

It had lodged an application with Housing New Zealand four years prior to the health worker becoming involved. This health worker queried and supported their application and, within four days of negotiating on behalf of this family, received a choice of suitable housing.

The visit from the Hawke's Bay Foundation included representatives from the Tindall Foundation. When asked what we would like if we could wave a magic wand we replied: "To build affordable homestar-rated homes with wraparound health and social services for the children living in severe poverty."

-Ana Apatu is chief executive of the U-Turn Trust, based at Te Aranga Marae in Flaxmere