Hawke's Bay housing crisis: Renter's dream of a house bus punctured by KiwiSaver provider

Jill Ahu had work for 20 years in the Corrections industry where she managed to build up a healthy Kiwisaver fund. Photo / Warren Buckland

A Hastings woman who sought to escape the renting trap by purchasing a house bus had her dreams punctured because her provider refused to let her use her KiwiSaver to pay for it.

Jill Ahu has been trying for the past year to invest in the house bus.

Desperate to not let her and the two of her children who live with her in a two-bedroom home become a statistic in the Hawke's Bay housing crisis, she hit up her KiwiSaver provider.

"They just flat out refused," Ahu said.

"Because it is not a fixed dwelling and is technically a vehicle they wouldn't allow me to access my KiwiSaver."

Ahu said she planned to make it into a home by parking it at her family and friend's places that had enough land to spare.

She says her landlord is continually raising her rent and to stay much longer will prove challenging.

"I am currently renting and ... my landlord is consistently increasing my rent from between $30 and $50 every 180 days," Ahu said.

"It makes it hard for me and my family and a lot of times we fall short for food or power and I have to choose between the two."

Ahu is currently on the sickness benefit after suffering depression from the loss of her son a few years ago.

Prior to that she had worked for 20 years in the Corrections industry where she managed to build up a healthy KiwiSaver fund.

Shelley Hanna says when it comes to getting hold of your KiwiSaver the decision is made by your provider whether you can get access to it or not. Photo / Warren Buckland

"I want to be able to own a place of my own but I can't afford to sustain a mortgage with how expensive houses are now."

Local authorised financial advisor Shelley Hanna said it is possible to access KiwiSaver for first home buying, retirement and other extreme circumstances, but to be able to access it comes with quite a process.

But it was at the discretion of the KiwiSaver provider but only under the rules set out under the KiwiSaver Act, and investments that depreciated in value, like vehicles, were not often looked on favourably.

"They mainly look at only houses or new builds as they hold more of an investment compared to other forms of housing that can lose their value."

Ahu said all she wanted was a safe place to live and call home.

"All I want is somewhere we can live that is warm and dry and affordable for us to live in," Ahu said.

"It is only a matter of time before we become one of the statistics and I'm sure this situation is not unique to me and my family."