Saturday, March 31, 2012

State house utopia - not

Reading a story about 11 Somalian refugees living in a 4 bedroom home in Christchurch one can have sympathy for their situation, past and present. And the racism displayed by potential private landlords is unfortunate but no laws can change it.

However, what caught my attention came only at the very end of the coverage:

Hayden said Warsame's family had turned down three houses in Christchurch because the family thought they were in the wrong suburb or too damp.


So they continue to live 11 in a 4 bedroom house by choice. I can understand the reasons why people would turn down certain houses or neighbourhoods. I can understand why people might choose to pool extra income by sharing one home. But what I don't get is why they then feel entitled to go the media (assuming that is how the story got out) about their 'plight'. Housing New Zealand has an obligation to find them accommodation and it would appear are doing their best.

If anything the story is an indictment on the state of Housing New Zealand stock and not uncommon deterioration of neighbourhoods they proliferate. And racists.

9 comments:

Mark.V. said...

Surely any house HNZ provides for these refugees has got to be better than the camps they came from? They are also no doubt receiving various welfare benefits as well as the cheap housing.

OK the house may not be ideal but it is cheap and you get what you pay for, or in their case, not pay for as it is the tax payer who is funding their lifestyle.

Anonymous said...

Why do we still have state houses in NZ.

Spain is showing the way: 20% across the board cuts, civil service salaries chopped by 10% above 5% last year, 10% electricity & gas price rises, and best of all, the elimination of unions & employment laws.

And we're supposed to have a National Party govt in NZ?

Paulus said...

I understand that they are effectively squatters in this property - they just moved in because they did not like where they were before - the wrong suburb.

FF said...

There must be plenty of 8 bdrm homes in Fendalton Housing NZ can arrange to settle this group,rental housing being so plentiful to choose from in ChCh. Then more cousins can join the family.
Refugees from clan-based muslim societies to Christchurch, what could possibly go wrong?

Tom said...

Personally i would kick them back from the dump they came from.White immigrants only i say.Yes i am rascist

FAIRFACTS MEDIA said...

The Burmese family in Nelson have performed much better through their own efforts.
New Zealand needs to be careful in selecting its refugees.

MsK said...

I'm sorry. I don't think that 11 into a four bedroom house is bad. My grandmother in Tolaga Bay raised 7 grandkids in a two bedroom house at the same time. It had a long drop for most of that period up until 1989. Before that she raised 14 kids of her own and the husband.

I have to admit that this story helped me realise that I am in fact a closet racist. I felt annoyed that this family seem to think they are entitled to better than the rest of us just because they live as a large family unit.

There was a story of a guy living in his car who hadn't showered for 3 weeks who, I'm certain, would take that burden of an HNZ house off them in a heartbeat.

Lindsay Mitchell said...

"I have to admit that this story helped me realise that I am in fact a closet racist. I felt annoyed that this family seem to think they are entitled to better than the rest of us just because they live as a large family unit."

But are you annoyed with them because they are Somalian or because they are displaying 'entitlitis'?

I don't know any Somalians so can't ascribe the characteristic broadly.

Anonymous said...

theres a beautiful mud 1 room villa in Mog just suited to their needs.
would they prefer that one instead?