Jacinda Ardern: Mushroom state house 'appalling'

Labour leader Jacinda Ardern says she has come across similar cases to that of a family being moved out of their state house after a mushroom sprouted from their kitchen wall.

"That is appalling. I have seen cases in my own area that I think are just unacceptable as well. We have a commitment to making sure our state housing, but also our private rental stock, is warm and dry. And those are the reasons why," Ardern said this morning.

Nicole Jenkins found a mushroom growing out of the kitchen wall at her Housing NZ property in Otara. Photo / Supplied

Nicole Jenkins, 30, has lived in the Housing New Zealand property in Piako St, Otara, for a year, with four young children.

Son Moses, 12, said he noticed a "little pebble" on the kitchen wall last week and told his mum.

"The next day there was a mushroom. It was standing up, it was slimy, it was dripping stuff," Moses said.

Jenkins googled mushrooms, fearing toxic spores could end up in her kids' food. "I was starting to freak out, thinking we're all going to end up in hospital."

The wall backs on to the laundry and had been damp for a few weeks, but the mushroom sprouted during a spell of warm weather. She's since found mushrooms growing in the pot cupboard too.

The mushrooms aren't the only damp-related problem in the semi-detached wooden house.

Slugs and snails crawl into the cupboards through a hole under the sink, leaving slime in the pots and pans.

Mildew and mould grow on the ceiling, on 1-year-old Johnny's high chair, inside the cupboards. Jenkins washes the curtains once a month but has just replaced them because the mildew was too bad.

"It doesn't matter how much you clean," she said. "You can be the cleanest person in the world but it happens all the time."

But the latest infestation had her at her wits' end. Jenkins contacted Housing New Zealand last week, eventually going into the office to convince her housing manager to visit.

Yesterday the Herald contacted Housing New Zealand about Jenkins' house. A few hours later, decontamination experts arrived at the property with several HNZ staff.

Last night Jenkins was told the family had to move out by this morning because it was too dangerous to inspect the house while they lived there.

HNZ has offered her a motel "which was nice" but she's turned it down in favour of staying with her mum, as she gets anxious in places she doesn't know.

Leaky water pipes might be causing the issue, the housing provider told Jenkins.

Housing New Zealand regional manager Karen Hitchcock said Jenkins called the customer service centre last Thursday.

"We arranged to visit her the next day. Following this visit, a repair job was logged.

"Our contractors are visiting the property today to examine further and undertake any repairs that may be necessary.

"If any significant work is required, we would look to work with Ms Jenkins and temporarily re-house her and her family, if required."