Manawatū Tenants’ Union celebrates 40 years of tenant advocacy and support

Former Manawatū Tenants' Union co-ordinator Kevin Reilly says housing is the No 1 issue facing people today. Photo / Judith Lacy

Kevin Reilly has become synonymous with tenants’ rights in Palmerston North.

He retired five years ago but shared some of his memories at the Manawatū Tenants’ Union’s 40th anniversary celebrations last Friday.

Reilly said MTU was started by a group of citizens concerned about the lack of housing in the city.

During his tenure, MTU successfully stopped the sale of city council housing, increased awareness of homelessness, and organised Shipleyville in The Square - a tent village to protest against the sale of state housing.

He met with MPs, ministers and prime ministers: Helen Clark was a good sort, he spoke to Jim Bolger about Ireland.

“I was never, ever frightened to talk to anybody. I’m Irish, that’s what we do.”

Reilly was the MTU co-ordinator from 1986 to 2018, retiring when he turned 70. He said it was a vocation, not a job.

“Today, housing is the No 1 issue and has not gone away. It is worse than before.”

Kevin Reilly during his time as Manawatū Tenants' Union co-ordinator.

Current co-ordinator Cam Jenkins said he still receives calls from people asking to speak to Reilly, saying he had helped them before.

MTU analyst and administrator Daniel Ryland prepared a slide show of 40 housing-related cartoons from 40 years for the anniversary.

The slide show began with James Lynch’s 1983 cartoon on the difficulties of qualifying for a Housing Corp loan.

A 2013 Bob Darroch cartoon has a father of two saying to his partner: “I rang my parents to see if we could move back with them but they’ve gone back to theirs!”

In 2019, cartoonist Michael Moreu compared finding a rental house in some parts of New Zealand to eternal burning pits.

The union held its inaugural meeting in August 1983. Spokesman Scott Salmon told The Tribune it was being set up in response to a range of problems including eviction, lack of privacy, bond theft and discrimination. Renters were concerned about what would happen when the rent freeze was lifted.

Manawatū Tenants' Union staff members Cam Jenkins (left) and Daniel Ryland with former staff member Kevin Reilly (right). Photo / Judith Lacy