Social housing residents plead for stability in quake-prone complex

Peter Hooper has lived in the Hanson St apartments since 2007. Photo / Samuel Rillstone, RNZ

By Kate Green of RNZ

A man who lives in a Wellington social housing complex recently deemed earthquake-prone says residents need stability, and he hopes at least some residents will be able to stay in their homes while work is carried out.

Six Wellington City Council social housing complexes containing more than 300 units have been found below 34% of the New Building Standard (NBS) in parts, after recent seismic and risk assessments.

The complexes affected are the Berkeley Dallard apartments in Mt Cook, the Daniell St and Hanson Court apartment blocks in Newtown, the Kōtuku apartments in Evans Bay, the Whare Ahuru Flats in Thorndon and the Pukehinau flats in Aro Valley.

Te Toi Mahana, which manages the tenancies at the properties, informed tenants earthquake strengthening work would be carried out, and a series of community meetings would take place to discuss the details.

Peter Hooper – who has lived in the Hanson St apartments since 2007 – said communication had been good so far.

Change was nothing new, he said. “Our landlord has been making changes really the entire time I’ve been here,” he said. “Change isn’t entirely new, but it does unsettle you. You’re not quite sure when it’s going to end, and how stable you feel.”

Earthquake strengthening is required at the apartments. Photo / Samuel Rillstone, RNZ

The council said the apartments were still able to be lived in under official seismic risk guidance, but affected tenants would be rehoused for work to be carried out.

Hooper said he was not particularly worried that the building was not up to code, “because actually, a whole lot of Wellington isn’t”, he said.

The more concerning aspect was the upheaval of moving out for work to be done.

“For someone living on super, you’re not in social housing in order to get a job and go somewhere else,” he said. “You’re actually looking for secure housing that’s long-term.”

Chief infrastructure officer Jenny Chetwynd said she appreciated the uncertainty the announcement would cause, and the council was committed to completing the work with minimal disruption to tenants and in a timely manner.

Te Toi Mahana’s general manager for tenancy, Daniel Tai, said tenants would be supported throughout the process.

It comes after firefighters battled to put out a fire in the Pukehinau flats yesterday afternoon.

Hooper said it was another occasion that reminded him how vulnerable social housing could be.

He recalled a fire in his own building many years ago. On that occasion, only one apartment was badly burned, and the ones above and below were “damaged a bit”, but Hooper’s apartment was untouched. It had scared him, though.

“I remember walking up from Basin Reserve towards my apartment, and I saw smoke coming from my building, and the only thought in my mind was, ‘Have I lost everything?’.”

He pointed out a large wooden cabinet against one wall of his flat, explaining it was made by his grandfather. Next to it hung that same grandfather’s framed wedding photos.

Not so lucky were the residents of Loafer’s Lodge, another event which had drawn attention to the vulnerability of social housing residents. Five people died, and others lost everything in a fire in May 2023.

So even considering the disruption, Hooper said: “To be frank, I’m grateful to have somewhere to live.”

- RNZ