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House guardians are keeping an eye on properties in Manurewa, as part of a scheme to stop vandals from trashing them.
Housing New Zealand has partnered with local police and residents - up to 60 people - in a bid to reduce damage to vacant houses waiting to be assigned to tenants.
Guardians are assigned a property on their street and given duties including taking down descriptions and car registrations of anyone seen loitering around the property and reporting to their Housing New Zealand tenant manager.
Guardian Wendy Bercich, who is guarding two properties on her street, says she agreed to do the job to keep the street safe and to prevent vandalism in the area.
"I can't believe how some of those houses can be trashed like that," she said.
"If we let it go, it'll just get worse and it might come to our own houses."
Housing New Zealand's housing manager for Manurewa, John Coffey, said the scheme was developed after figures showed that up to 40 per cent of vacant properties in Manurewa had been vandalised last July.
Mr Coffey said police had also contacted Housing New Zealand with figures showing that 38 per cent of crime and burglaries in Manurewa last year involved Housing New Zealand properties.
"We think it's quite a clever thing," he said of the scheme.
The neighbourhood is able to take ownership of their neighbourhood.
"They're doing it on a voluntary basis and they're safe. You can just be behind the blinds, keeping note and then reporting back to us."
Mr Coffey said that as a result of the guardian scheme, no vacant Housing New Zealand homes were vandalised in Manurewa in January.
Mrs Bercich, 67, has lived in her Manurewa street for more than 20 years.
She said that although she had not had any major problems with the two properties she was guarding, she was continuing to keep a watchful eye out for any mischief.
"I really take pride in my street," she said. "I try to do the best I can for the street - it's mainly to keep our street safe, and if I can do my bit then I'll do it."
