Housing concerns highlighted

A seminar held this week on housing has highlighted the serious unmet housing needs in Canterbury.

The seminar was hosted by Healthy Christchurch and the Canterbury Branch of the Public Health Association.

In his keynote address, Alan Johnson from the Child Poverty Action Group said that public commentary on housing tend not to focus on the real issue.

“There’s a lot of talk about the difficulties young middle income households are experiencing getting into the property market. While this is undoubtedly an issue, the far bigger risk is that the housing needs of our most vulnerable are being ignored,” Mr Johnson says.

Dr Rachel Eyre, Chair of the Canterbury and West Coast branch of the Public Health Association, says that although housing issues are complex, every child should be able to live in a warm, safe house.

‘We know that substandard housing contributes to the ill health of our children and we know that improving the quality of housing will allow children and their families to have the opportunity for a better life,” Dr Eyre says.

Healthy Christchurch Chair Evon Currie says housing has become a major issue for Canterbury since the earthquakes. The range of housing issues include tenants and homeowners living in substandard homes while awaiting repairs; affordability and supply; and homelessness and overcrowding.

“Canterbury’s recovery provides a rare opportunity to improve the quality of housing, and it’s imperative that our most vulnerable get a fair go,” says Mrs Currie.

“There needs to be a focus on building communities as well as houses and putting the health of our children and young people at the centre of this discussion.”

Attendees at the seminar committed to continuing to highlight the city’s housing issues and called for greater collaboration among those who seek to bring about positive change.

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