Far North pensioner flat upgrades on hold as council considers whether to sell

Promised upgrades of pensioner housing on Puckey Ave, Kaitāia, have been stopped after three units were done.

A Far North District Council decision to defer promised upgrades of its pensioner units while it considers selling the housing is causing stress and anxiety for the tenants, a tenant and elderly advocate says.

Russell Bird, president of Grey Power Far North, and FNDC pensioner housing tenant in Puckey Ave, Kaitāia, said the council had promised its elderly tenants that the flats, and those it owns in Oxford St, would be refurbished.

This meant tenants had to be prepared to move out while the work was done, and some had been waiting for months for their turn to have their home upgraded.

Bird said three of the Puckey Ave flats have been refurbished, but rumours had spread recently that the rest would not be done. He said the tenants have been on edge for months expecting to have to move out while their flats were done up, only to now wonder what was happening.

“The council made the promise to do them up and has done a good job on three of them, but we don’t know what’s going on now as nobody has told us,” he told the Northland Age.

FNDC head of infrastructure strategy Tanya Proctor said the council’s Long-Term Plan 2021-31, adopted in June 2021, set out to refurbish its Housing for the Elderly villages at both Puckey Ave and Oxford St in Kaitāia, as well as villages in Kaikohe and Kawakawa. Physical works commenced in 2023.

“That plan also set direction to commence a process to consider divestment options for our Housing for the Elderly portfolio that could provide the best outcome for tenants into the future.

Russell Bird, president of Grey Power Far North, says a council decision to defer promised flat upgrades is causing stress and anxiety for the elderly tenants.

“In the 2024-27 Long Term Plan, adopted in June 2024, the council set the direction to continue pursuing the divestment options. It was decided that upgrade works would be deferred while these investigations were undertaken to ensure the most appropriate investment of ratepayer funds.

“While full upgrades have been deferred, all the units are being assessed to ensure all Healthy Homes Standard measures previously installed remain fit for purpose and provide the desired result for tenants. These will be updated where necessary.”

But Bird said uncertainty was causing concern and anxiety among many of the elderly residents, with many worried about their future in the flats.

“These are elderly people, and amongst the most vulnerable members of our community, and many are worried about what will happen to their homes. They were looking forward to their units being refurbished and living in them for the rest of their lives, but now, we just don’t know.

“We think they’ve been interested in selling them for the past five years or so. Previous council property managers have told us that there will be nothing to worry about if the flats are sold, and that our tenancies will be safe, with only the usual yearly rental rises, but we’re just concerned at what the lack of information coming to us could mean. We’re in the dark, and these are our homes.”