Housing Stress: Part Two

“There is no property manager so we can’t get anything fixed. We are really lucky to have it so we just have to keep our mouths shut.” Susan, 40’s

We couldn’t get social housing because my husband earns too much. But by the time he pays child support, and tax, we are not getting that much in the hand. And then you’re paying $400 a week in rent for something that is not healthy or properly maintained.

We are living in iwi housing now; there is no property manager so we can’t get anything fixed. We are really lucky to have it so we just have to keep our mouths shut. But it is very damp so I have had to buy new clothes and bedding because the others have gone mouldy – and where does that money come from? Our food budget?

Having a home is the foundation for my family. It’s where we make memories, it’s where you bond, create and cook and teach your kids. I am grateful to have a stable home, but the dampness is making my kids sick.

Even though my husband has a good job, there’s just so much competition for rentals. We gave notice on our last place because the landlord refused to do any basic maintenance. We didn’t realise it had become so hard to find another place, and the rental agents really judged us.

They need to understand that there are good people out there that are really trying and that really do have the end goal of buying their own home. Give people a chance. Because there are lot of people out there that are getting rejected or neglected – decent people like us. I wouldn’t ever damage your house, I would look after it and do things around the home, but nobody would give us a chance.

We very much felt like we were being judged, being an interracial and blended family.

We got to the point where our time had run out, and we had to go and stay with a cousin. It was very full as there were five of us in a two-bedroom flat. The cousin gave us the rooms and slept on the couch. We bought bunks and three kids slept in one room. Then, we literally bought a tent. And, we were getting ready to put the tent up because we just couldn’t find anything, and we would rather have done that because it is very stressful living with family, walking around on eggshells worrying that you could get kicked out at any moment. Then the iwi house came up.

My partner and I don’t even know how we managed to stay together to be perfectly honest. We had a couple of disagreements and we had to really pull ourselves together and walk away and go: This is not us. We’re not disagreeing or arguing over anything to do with us. This is just the situation we are in now. But something like losing a house and having to live with family, it rocks things.

I’m privileged; I’m one of the lucky ones that have found a good person. I’d hate to see where I would have been if I didn’t meet you guys [EmpowermentNZ] and if I didn’t have my partner to lean on.