A week of door knocking in earthquake-damaged suburbs in Christchurch has found 325 properties in need of urgent repairs before winter.
The CanCERN group this week launched the Let's Find and Fix campaign aimed at finding the properties in most need of temporary repairs. The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, Christchurch City Council and EQC are helping cover the costs.
Less than two months out from the fourth winter since the 2011 earthquake, authorities have identified about 5000 properties that could still be damaged, including 325 in urgent need of repair.
CanCERN spokesperson Leanne Curtis said the work will not affect a homeowner's final settlement or temporary accommodation allowance as it has done in the past.
Red Cross volunteer Colin Garthwaite says the elderly are proving to be the ones most in need. Most of them don't have the energy to battle their insurers so have fallen through the cracks.
The campaign continues next week and one of its supporters, the Insurance Council, is encouraging anyone still with problems to come forward as soon as possible and register with the programme.
Housing NZ repairs
Repairs to damaged Housing New Zealand homes in Christchurch have hit the 1000 mark.
Housing Minister Nick Smith is confident the Government will meet its deadline to repair all 5000 damaged state houses by the end of next year.
He said 700 new houses being built in Canterbury, combined with the repair jobs, will get Housing New Zealand numbers back to pre-quake levels.
Dr Smith said 27,000 urgent and emergency repairs, that began in 2010, have been completed.
Those on the Priority A waiting list, including families living in garages, cars or overcrowded homes has increased by 100 to 272 in the past four months.
