Stop Niki’s Eviction
Wednesday 22 March, 2017

Elderly Tāmaki tenant continues her struggle despite all odds

Ioela (Niki) Rauti who has been fighting her eviction has vowed to keep the fight against the gentrification and privatisation of her community as she is declined a re-hearing.

Last night Niki’s application for a re-hearing was declined. This means Niki’s stay of proceeding that was protecting her from bailiffs and police coming in has now been lifted.

Niki’s lawyer has requested another stay of proceedings and has an appeal in the district court. The stay of proceedings is likely to be heard today but Niki and her supporters are preparing for the worse.

2,800 houses in Tāmaki were transferred to Tāmaki Regeneration Limited in April 2016, with the tenancies transferred to a subsidiary Tāmaki Housing Association Limited Partnership.

This April, expressions of interest to manage these homes will close, opening the management of low-income vulnerable tenancies to the private market.

This privatisation process of state housing is what Niki and the Tāmaki Housing Group have been fighting against for 5 years and is now being realised.

The management of social housing in the Tāmaki area are being transferred to companies who can make profit. The land is being sold to developers and investors to build a large number of private mansions.

This is not “regeneration”, this is gentrification. This is not effective management of social housing stock, this is privatisation.

Niki is making a stand against her eviction in the context of her community being destroyed. Tāmaki is a community, not a company. Join the struggle.

ENDS

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