Health Minister Dr Shane Reti details the benefits derived from the Healthy Homes Initiative, which has led to fewer hospitalisations and better school attendance.
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti is lauding the drop in hospitalisations and the fewer school absences coming from the Healthy Homes Initiative, but he can’t say whether the Government will invest more in the scheme.
Reti, alongside fellow Cabinet minister and Hutt South MP Chris Bishop, appeared today at a Lower Hutt marae to speak to a report detailing the benefits derived from the initiative, which began in 2013 to address damp and mouldy homes.
University of Otago analysis of the initiative’s impact on whānau in the five years since support was provided found there had been a more than 18% reduction in hospitalisations per person compared with the five years prior.
A 5% decrease in medical-related school absences had been observed as well as an estimated 14,000 drop in the number of GP visits in each of the five years after people were assisted through the programme.
Report author Professor Nevil Pierse, speaking at Kōkiri Marae, cited the experience of a mother and her 8-year-old son who had suffered in a draughty and mouldy home.
Pierse outlined how the boy’s living conditions meant he was struggling at school and didn’t like sports because he was often ill. The mother could barely work as she was regularly staying home to look after her son.
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Hutt South MP Chris Bishop (centre left and centre right) are welcomed onto Kōkiri Marae. Photo / Mark Mitchell
However, their situation improved with support from programme staff, who supported the whānau to heat and insulate their home.
The boy, now 15, was now considered a “straight-A student” as well as playing first five and captaining his rugby team.
Pierse, from Ireland, even joked about his wish for the boy to discover some hidden Irish heritage following his national team’s recent defeat to the All Blacks, which was welcomed with laughter from the audience.
Addressing Reti and Bishop, Pierse challenged them to advocate for such an approach to housing at Cabinet.
Reti had welcomed the report in an earlier statement, celebrating how it had found for every dollar spent in the programme, it had led to an estimated $5 in health savings over the following five years.
However, Reti said he was unable to commit further funding to the initiative, saying such decisions would be made by mid-2025.
He acknowledged the report had uncovered “impressive information” and signalled the Government was “supportive” of the Healthy Homes Initiative.
The scheme was first set up as part of a rheumatic fever prevention programme before it was expanded nationwide.
Asked whether he was concerned about recent increases in rheumatic fever cases, Reti said he had initiated an “inventory” of services addressing the disease to find the most successful and facilitate their expansion nationwide.
Reti said he expected to receive answers following that piece of work shortly.
Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.
