A home for Christmas: Family on housing register for seven years finally get a place

Father-of-two Rudolph Delport is a double-leg amputee and is on kidney dialysis, while his wife Natasha is unable to work because of health problems. Photo / RNZ

By RNZ

A Christchurch man on a disability allowance and his family have received some Christmas cheer after finding themselves in a desperate housing situation.

Father-of-two Rudolph Delport is a double-leg amputee and is on kidney dialysis, while his wife Natasha is unable to work because of health problems.

He previously told RNZ that his allowance was not enough to cover his rent in the private market - which was set to increase - alongside growing health expenses.

Delport feared his family would eventually be homeless, after being on the Ministry of Social Development housing register for seven years.

“We totally understand that we’re not the only ones in this situation but we’re also talking about someone who has a life expectancy. We’ve actually tried to find cheaper accommodation,” said Natasha Delport.

“The doctor [has] said the road ahead is just going to get worse and worse and worse for us.”

Following RNZ inquiries with the ministry, the Delport family has been granted accommodation through Kāinga Ora.

This will cut their weekly rental expenses in half.

Meanwhile, the Christchurch City Mission said it was having to turn more people away amid an increase in requests for food parcels.

Christchurch city missioner Corrine Haines says Christmas is tough for those most vulnerable.

The longstanding charity has noticed a 10 per cent increase in parcels being given out over the past year.

A family of four that RNZ has spoken to say they asked the city mission for support because of financial problems caused by a lack of social housing.

Christchurch city missioner Corinne Haines said Christmas was a tough time for those most vulnerable.

“We are having to limit our support at the end of this year to those people who we’ve supported during the year, with our food parcels.

“But there are still people who are asking us ... to help them and at this stage we’re not quite sure, we’ll [have to] wait until we get to the end of the week but it’s tough.”

Haines said over the past six months, the charity has bought three times the value of the food it bought in the same period last year.

- RNZ