Family of 14 stuck in three-bedroom home

Tariana Turia

The Government is being accused of failing to act on overcrowding after a Northland family with 14 people living in a three-bedroomed house sought help.

Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia said Atareiria HeiHei approached Housing New Zealand 10 months ago asking for support to house her family.

Mrs HeiHei then wrote to Housing Minister Chris Carter in February, claiming nepotism was behind another family getting a state home, which she said was being used as a holiday home.

She told National Radio today her three sons were in one bedroom, while her and her husband plus one grandchild were in another bedroom. Her two daughters and another grandchild were in the third bedroom and some other family members were sleeping on mattresses on the floor in the lounge, she said.

"Having only one bathroom and one toilet with 14 people, and most of them are adults, that's quite difficult."

Having enough water was a problem, as was space for the children to do their homework.

Mrs Turia said it was the woman's own home in Takou Bay but she had asked for a state house because of the number of people living there.

The MP said she had a copy of the letter the woman wrote in February to Mr Carter.

Staff in Mr Carter's office had told her staff that he was going to do "something about it".

However, it was "appalling" it had taken several months for Mr Carter to start looking into the situation.

"I would like to see the minister, when he receives letters of this serious nature, do something about it immediately," Mrs Turia said.

After Mrs HeiHei first approached Housing New Zealand 10 months ago, the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) had carried out an assessment which it had provided to Housing New Zealand, Mrs Turia said.

The MSD's housing support co-ordinator had identified "the most apparent and obvious issue" of overcrowding, she said.

The co-ordinator had also identified issues around privacy, health, family tension, emotional stress, hygiene and sanitation, Mrs Turia said.

Mrs HeiHei subsequently wrote to Mr Carter alleging that nepotism had been behind another family getting a state house.

The woman claimed that house had been used for the past four years as a "holiday home" for the family, with the home lying empty apart from the odd weekend and public holidays.

Mr Carter told Parliament yesterday he was happy to talk to Mrs Turia about the case to see if a solution could be found.

A spokesman for Mr Carter said the minister had asked Housing New Zealand for more information about the case. He had started asking questions about the case some months ago.

Mr Carter could not comment until he had further details, the spokesman said.

- NZPA