Kāinga Ora homes in Māngere's Ventura St, Pito Place and Elmdon St are less than 100m from Te Ararata Creek, which regularly floods during bad weather. Photo: LDR / Stephen Forbes
Kāinga Ora will demolish a number of homes in Māngere that were damaged in the Auckland Anniversary Weekend flooding.
But the government housing agency is tight-lipped on how many will be demolished and where, with some affected tenants still waiting for answers one month on.
Local Democracy Reporting understands up to 15 houses have already been condemned.
The Auckland Anniversary Weekend flooding resulted in 560 Kāinga Ora properties being damaged in the Auckland region and the number of displaced people has soared.
Kāinga Ora deputy chief executive for Auckland and Northland Caroline Butterworth said it was still assessing the damage to its properties in Māngere and talking with affected residents about their options.
She said in cases where a flood-damaged home was in an area that has already been identified for redevelopment, it might not make sense to carry out repairs.
"We have committed to rehousing all our customers who are unable to return to their homes - either because the house is too damaged or because they cannot live safely and well in their home while repairs are done because of their specific set of circumstances."
Butterworth said that included offering them a new home to move to, so they "can get on with their lives".
"It's important for us that our customers hear from us first about the situation regarding their home, so we can't provide any more details at this stage," she said.
Among the state housing tenants affected is Kent Peni. He fled his Ventura St home at 3am on January 28 with his children after rising flood waters engulfed the property.
He said he still did not know if his home, which he moved into three years ago, will be demolished or repaired.
"We're still waiting to hear back from Kāinga Ora. Our house has been yellow stickered," Peni said. "It's been four weeks since the floods, but nothing has been done to the property."
He said the property was still damp and the gib, insulation and electrics on the ground floor would all have to be replaced.
He has been living with family for the past month and said Kāinga Ora had already given him the option of moving to another home.
"But we don't want to relocate," Peni said.
Kāinga Ora tenant Kent Peni says he still does not know if his Māngere home, which was damaged in the Auckland Anniversary Weekend flooding, will be demolished or repaired. Photo: LDR / Stephen Forbes
'Moving on' after 39 years
Pito Place resident Teina Tutai said she was told a couple of weeks ago that her house and a number of other homes in her street would be demolished.
She said despite the upheaval of finding a new home after living in the same property for 39 years, she was pleased with the outcome.
"We're just happy to be moving on," she said.
Monte Cecilia Housing Trust chief executive Vicki Sykes said Kāinga Ora will have to weigh up whether it was worth repairing or replacing the affected properties.
"Some of the older homes may have been scheduled for replacement, but if it involves any of the newer houses that's effectively starting again," she said.
But she said if the homes were in flood-prone areas, the housing agency would have to consider whether it was worth rebuilding them in the same location.
Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
