Hazeldine-Barber has Prader-Willi syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes obesity, intellectual disability and short stature. He also has spina bifida.
The 48-year-old has lived in his Habitat for Humanity home on Bellingham Cres for six years - five of which were with his mother, who helped care for him. His mother died last year and on her deathbed made Hazeldine-Barber promise her he would be okay.
Hazeldine-Barber has now been told his home will be removed and replaced with three family homes under a rent-to-own Ministry of Housing and Urban Development housing partnership with Habitat for Humanity.
The Rotorua Daily Post revealed Hazeldine-Barber’s plight on Tuesday. Through tears, he said he had until May 26 to leave the house.
Habitat for Humanity central region chief executive Nick Green said on Thursday that the organisation was doing everything it could to help him.
“Obviously we feel for Richard and understand he is distressed about his circumstances. Our staff are doing everything they can to support him at this time.”
Asked what would happen if Hazeldine-Barber did not find a new house by May 26, Green said the tenancy would come to an end.
“But we are confident we are supporting him to a maximum degree and we are confident we can find him a house.”
Habitat for Humanity this week told the Rotorua Daily Post “tough decisions” needed to be made in a housing crisis. It said the new homes would be offered under the Progressive Home Ownership ownership programme”, or rent-to-buy scheme.
Hazeldine-Barber did not fit the criteria for rent-to-own given he was on a Supported Living Benefit. Habitat for Humanity said given the ministry’s priorities were for Māori and Pacific people and families, Hazeldine-Barber was not eligible or suitable for the programme.
After his story was published on Tuesday, Hazeldine-Barber told the Rotorua Daily Post he was overwhelmed with responses from people from all over New Zealand.
“I hope someone out in this beautiful place called Rotorua ... can [find] it in their hearts to help me have a nice home to live out the rest of my life and I can finally sit down and grieve for my mother.”
Rotorua MP Todd McClay said, in his opinion, it was an “appalling” situation.
In his view: “I feel so sorry for him and his anguish he must be feeling. This is another failing of the Government’s housing policy - let’s build houses anywhere and no thought about those who will be kicked out. The Government has an obligation to find him a place urgently and it can not be a motel.”
The policy of who gets houses should be based on need, not anything else, McClay said.
“To be lower on the list perhaps behind others who have less need is a disgrace.”
McClay said he had received a considerable number of calls and emails from constituents concerned about Hazeldine-Barber’s situation.
“I will be hoping to find him a permanent solution because the Government doesn’t seem to care.”
The Rotorua Daily Post approached Kāinga Ora and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to respond to McClay’s comments and to see if they could help Hazeldine-Barber.
Kāinga Ora Bay of Plenty regional director Darren Toy. Photo / Andrew Warner
In response, Kāinga Ora Bay of Plenty regional director Darren Toy said as with all people placed into Kāinga Ora homes, those with the highest assessed need were given priority.
“MSD [Ministry of Social Development] assess people for housing need and refer housing applicants to Kāinga Ora and other housing providers to help them match applicants with available properties.
“I appreciate the difficult housing situation which Mr Hazeldine-Barber is facing, and should his housing need assessment show he has priority we will certainly do our utmost to place him in a suitable Kāinga Ora home.”
Toy said in the meantime Kāinga Ora continued to build new public housing at pace in Rotorua, so there were more homes for people and families who were living in unsuitable housing situations.
Ministry of Social Development Bay of Plenty regional commissioner Mike Bryant said he was aware of Hazeldine-Barber’s situation and would be doing everything he could to support him into long-term housing.
This included working with ministry partners to explore all options.
He said, generally, there were many ways it supported people at risk of homelessness.
These included a programme helping people learn the skills and confidence needed for success in the private rental market, and financial assistance such as grants for paying a bond, rent in advance or moving costs.
”The Accommodation Supplement is a weekly payment we provide that helps people with their rent, board, or the cost of owning a home.”
It could also work with public housing agencies, such as Kāinga Ora, to help clients in their search for an available property.
Richard Hazeldine-Barber lives in a Habitat for Humanity house that's being pulled down to build higher density homes he's not eligible for. Photo /Andrew Warner
Ministry of Housing and Urban Development housing and service delivery general manager Jonathan Fraser said the department was always concerned when it learned of people in circumstances where their long-term housing situation was being affected by means outside their control.
“We have been in discussions with Habitat For Humanity and understand that they are continuing to offer assistance to Mr Hazeldine-Barber to find alternative accommodation. This included referring him to Te Pokapū, the Rotorua Housing Hub, at the time the notice was issued.”
Fraser said Hazeldine-Barber’s home was part of Habitat’s affordable rental portfolio, which was not government-funded.
The homes planned for the redevelopment of the site - two three-bedroom homes and one four-bedroom home - are part of the Progressive Home Ownership (PHO) fund and will be offered through a rent-to-buy scheme.
Fraser said to be eligible for one of these homes, a household would need to be in a position to buy a home within the timeframe expected.
This would require the ability to service the level of rent required and given the homes were three- and four-bedrooms, they were designed with the needs of families in mind.
The PHO fund can help lower-to-median income households unlikely to be able to buy a house, first-home buyers or households that have at or above median incomes but don’t earn enough to service a low-deposit home loan.
Fraser said it focused on three priority groups, reflecting the Government’s intention to address the need to increase home ownership for Māori, Pacific people and families with children.
“This does not exclude households who do not fall into one of those groups. To date, the PHO programme has supported a wide range of households into home ownership.”
