A resident of a state housing block in South Auckland says she wants to move somewhere else after assaults and a gang-related shooting in her building.
But it's not as easy as just asking to move somewhere safer - after being put on a state housing transfer list unbeknownst to her, she was taken off it.
There are a dozen blocks of town houses in Bari Lane in Mangere, where Christine Nankivell has lived for four years.
She asked to be transferred to another state house after witnessing a non-fatal shooting last year.
"It's quite distressing. I've been physically pushed and cracked my head open. I've seen a shooting there, was a shooting here.
Kāinga Ora tenants want to be transferred to other social housing to escape violent neighbourhoods. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
"There's always arguments between couples but that's their business it's not mine," she said.
"I just worry about it and I haven't seen my grandchildren since the shooting. It's just constant here and I just want out."
Nankivell said there is gang rivalry and she does not think it is a good environment for her young grandchildren to visit.
"I don't want my grandkids to see things like that and you know, it was over colours."
She is also a cancer patient and said her GP wrote a letter confirming it was not safe for her to live there.
"That it's very unsafe for me and my grandchildren to be here because of my condition, because I've got lung cancer so it's really hard for me to be here. I just want a free life, you know."
Nankivell said she has been ping-ponged between Kāinga Ora, which is the the landlord, and the Ministry of Social Development, MSD.
Both agencies confirmed Nankivell asked to be transferred to another Kāinga Ora property in August last year, after one of her neighbours was shot - but she is no longer on the waiting list.
MSD's regional commissioner, Jules Lynch, said they invite her to get back in contact.
"At any given time, we have many people, often with high needs and complex situations, looking for housing. How quickly they are housed depends both on their need and available social housing that matches that need," Lynch said.
"We let Christine know we had a range of support available if she wanted to look for suitable private rentals to support her to move more quickly."
Lynch said Nankivell was placed on a wait list in October, two months after she requested a transfer but this year she asked for a two-bedroom home which triggered a completely new application.
She was removed from the housing transfer wait list this year because MSD had not received the documents for that application and said they could not reach Nankivell to tell her.
When Nankivell realised she asked to be put back on the wait list but again, MSD said they were unable to contact her to progress it - but Nankivell disputes this, saying she had no missed calls from MSD and believed she was still in line for a transfer.
"Christine is currently not on the social housing transfer register. We would encourage her to contact us if she would like to make a new application," Lynch said.
State housing in South Auckland where a grandmother was pushed and cracked her head open. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
And she is not alone. Another Bari Lane resident, Salesi Mataitonga, said he asked to be transferred to another state house after he was attacked in his home two months ago.
"Bruised eye from this side, down to here and I've got a little bit of a lump up here. Every time I go walk down the road I better watch my back just in case they might pop up and do something to me, you know."
Mataitonga said he first approached Kāinga Ora to ask for a transfer, who told him to ask MSD - but both agencies said they have not received his request.
"They told me that they put me on the list but I've been waiting for a long time. I want to move out of here."
Both he and Nankivell want the agencies to step up and help them move.
Kāinga Ora said it has stepped up security at the complex and is talking with the police about having regular patrols through there.
Its acting regional director for Counties Manukau, Sonja Clearkin, said when violence or aggression occurs in someone's home or neighbourhood, it naturally impacts on their sense of safety.
"When one of our tenants goes through a traumatic experience like that, we do our best as a landlord to support them.
"Often this involves connecting them with agencies like the police and Victim Support who have the specialist skills and expertise to deal with these situations," Clearkin said.
"There have been several serious incidents at this complex which police have investigated and we know this has been upsetting for tenants living there.
"In response to this, we've stepped up security and our presence at the complex. We've also been talking with police about having regular patrols through the complex."
Clearkin said as a landlord, Kāinga Ora is ensuring that if they get any evidence of its tenants behaving in an unacceptable way, they end tenancies where needed.
State housing transfers
Any social housing tenants with concerns for their safety are advised to first raise the matter with their landlord - in this case, that was Kāinga Ora.
MSD's general manager of enablement, Karen Hocking, said that was the fist step.
"Where the landlord is unable to address those safety concerns, including through an internal transfer, MSD can assess the tenant's eligibility for a social housing transfer."
Eligibility for a transfer was assessed using the same assessment as new applications for social housing.
Kāinga Ora says tenants will be moved if they cannot abide by rules. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
MSD said it then indicated how urgent the person's transfer should be on the social housing register - and it was back to Kāinga Ora to match the tenant to a housing provider.
"How quickly those on the register are housed depends both on their level of need and the availability of housing that matches their needs," Hocking said.
"A person may be assessed as ineligible for a social housing transfer for a range of reasons, including because they no longer meet the core eligibility criteria for social housing."
She said evidence of a need to move due to safety concerns is not strictly defined but could include providing a police report or confirmation from their landlord that a property does not meet their needs.
A Kāinga Ora spokesperson said when there are genuine safety concerns with strong supporting evidence such as police reports, medical notes, or court statements, Kāinga Ora will move tenants to suitable alternative housing.
"How quickly we can do that depends on whether there is another suitable Kāinga Ora home available for the tenant to move into," they said.
"If there is not a pressing safety issue but a tenant wants to move to another home, our housing support managers or other advocates can support tenants to complete a social housing transfer application with MSD."
They said if the tenant is eligible, they are placed on the MSD transfer register, which Kāinga Ora and other social housing providers use to match tenants to available homes.
"Transfers may be approved for reasons such as overcrowding or health needs. However, a request may be found ineligible if the tenant doesn't meet MSD's eligibility criteria."
Anyone with immediate concerns for their safety is advised to contact the police.
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