Greens Release Rental Stories Collection – Green Party
The Green Party has today released a collection of stories showing how dire the rental situation is in Aotearoa.
“We put the call out for renters’ voices nearly a month ago and have been overwhelmed with the response. Far, far too many of the 1.4 million renting New Zealanders have horror stories – and without policy intervention, they’re living in a state sanctioned nightmare,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for renters, Chlöe Swarbrick.
“We heard stories of families forced to pay through the roof to live in cold, damp, and mouldy homes that make them and their children sick.
“We heard of landlords raising rents while refusing time and time again to fix people’s homes to bring them up to even the most basic of standards.
“Many of these stories have been shared on the condition of anonymity, reinforcing the point about the well entrenched power imbalance that Parliament has so far ensured comes with renting in this country.
“This suffering is a political choice. Enough is enough.
“The Green Party knows Parliament ignores renters at their own political peril. We started this campaign and share these stories so renters know these are not one-off, individual issues, but so clearly systemic – and political.
“The time is now to ensure everyone in Aotearoa has a safe, dry and affordable home,” says Chlöe Swarbrick.
While people may have no option but to rent, no one is forced to rent cold, damp, and mouldy homes. That is a choice.
Through the roof rents are an end result of high ownership costs. Such as interest rates, rates, insurance, compliance, maintenance and the high cost of housing due to the shortage of housing. Are you doing anything to address/reduce those cost burdens? As that is where your concerns really stem from.
Landlords refusing time and time again to fix people’s homes can be reported and fined with tenants potentially being compensated. Moreover, tenants can always leave. It’s not something people really have to put up with. Again, that is a choice.
Therefore, you have failed to show a power imbalance.
This campaign of misdirected blame fails to address the real problems highlighted above.
We see you. You are not fooling us. Do better.