You're the slum landlord Mr Heatley

Remember Phil Heatley, Opposition spokesperson for housing circa 2008?  Remember the self-proclaimed campaigner against Housing New Zealand housing that was not up to standard?  Remember the promises he made at that time?  Remember his 'outrage' and his 'indignation'?

“Mr Heatley was full of sound and fury back then,” says Labour’s Housing spokesperson Annette King.

“But the truth’s out – his bluster meant nothing, because this is the man who is responsible for drastic cuts to Housing New Zealand’s maintenance budget.

“He is the slum landlord.

“If the Minister wants to see an example of his lack of action, I invite him to accompany me to 139 Greys Ave, Auckland Central, which houses an 87-flat HNZ complex.

“I visited it with my colleague Jacinda Ardern on Tuesday. It is an example of the most appalling neglect, not helped by the removal of a housing manager who had an office in the complex- until Housing New Zealand moved to the ‘Faster. Fairer. Smarter’ phone line service”, said Annette King.

“Mr Heatley’s policy of neglect has led to uncollected stinking, rotting rubbish, tenants afraid to go out of their flats because of vagrants (who sleep and urinate in stairwells and graffiti walls), dangerous flooring and filthy public areas.

“It is more than five years since the outside was cleaned. Over a 100 tenants share three washing machines, contained in a communal laundry where dangerous wiring is exposed and where their clothes lines are situated.

“The 0800 phone line is so inefficient that a caller, who rang after finding blood splattered around a lift, was told – when he finally got through – that it could be 10 working days before it was cleaned up.

“Good luck to the advocate or tenant who gets through to Mr Heatley. He has refused to meet people in Auckland saying they must come to Wellington. This despite the fact he flies courtesy of the taxpayer while housing advocates have to hold sausage sizzles to raise money for their fares,” said Annette King.