Kāinga Ora tenants who don’t deserve state homes should be evicted - Paula Bennett

OPINION

It is all about your rights instead of acknowledging that you also have responsibilities.

It may be a small percentage of Kāinga Ora tenants that are making other people’s lives hell but those that are should be dealt with swiftly and in the best interest of others.

It is obvious that they should be evicted for the safety of neighbours but they should also be evicted because they don’t respect the property and there are plenty of others who will.

There are more than 25,000 people on the Social Housing waitlist. This is far too many and at another time when we don’t have such a shortage of housing we should have the discussion of how many people the State should provide housing for.

But for now, let’s give a house to one of those 25,000 people who would treat the house and neighbours with respect. They are incredibly lucky to be getting cheap rents at the cost of the taxpayer.

We have heard too many excuses in the past about why people should not be evicted from Kāinga Ora homes for violent, intimidating and unlawful behaviour. The people who should be second in line to be angriest (the scared neighbour being the first) about this are those thousands of people living in appalling conditions in motels.

The Government is spending nearly $1 million a day on motels and many of them are disgusting and overcrowded. People are at a level of desperation that they don’t have a choice and put up with it. Meanwhile, we have some tenants who are treating their state houses and their neighbours appallingly.

They do not deserve a state-subsidised house. There has to be some form of self-responsibility and consequences for actions. And one of those actions should be eviction - as National said it would do last year. It is the same with the welfare system as the minister declares that there will be sanctions against people who fail continuously to comply with job-seeking requirements.

Some are outraged that there may be sanctions. It is quite simple – if you don’t want to be sanctioned then simply acknowledge that you have responsibilities and comply. You won’t lose part of your benefit on your first mistake, they will give you many opportunities to rectify the situation, but at some stage you have to take responsibility for your actions (or lack of them) or suffer the consequences.

Same as being in a state-funded social house. If you don’t want to be evicted then it is quite simple. Don’t terrorise and threaten your neighbours and treat the home with respect.

A state-funded cheap home is not yours by right and if you are lucky enough to be in one then you should take responsibility for your actions.