Fixing flood-damaged homes new priority

"Our immediate focus after the floods was checking on the safety and wellbeing of our customers and connecting them with the right agencies to help them with their basic needs,’’ says Deputy Chief Executive for Auckland and Northland Caroline Butterworth.

"We have been working alongside Auckland Emergency Management and the Ministry of Social Development to help our customers because we are very aware of the incredibly tough situation some of them have been in since the flooding.

"We’ve been in touch with every family that we’re aware of that has been severely impacted. If there’s anyone we have missed, we would like them to either call us on 0800 801-601 or email aucklandrecovery@kaingaora.govt.nz.

"We have also contacted Auckland community leaders and support services to outline what help is available to flood-affected people encourage them to pass on referrals from our customers. We are here to help and strongly encourage our customers to make contact.’’

Ms Butterworth says the agency is aware of about 505 properties that have flood damage or associated safety issues, however, with assessments still being done that figure may rise.

At the height of the floods about 190 households were out of their homes but some have since returned to their property.

"Now that we’re one week on from the floods and we’re moving from the emergency response phase into the recovery phase, our focus has turned to how we get our flood-damaged houses repaired as quickly as possible so that customers can return to their homes.

"However, the volume of homes needing repairs means it is going to take time. We’ll be prioritising repairs that can enable people to quickly and safely move back into their homes.’’

Ms Butterworth says while Kāinga Ora has a small number of vacant homes in the Auckland region, these homes are not immediately available to help provide housing to customers affected by the recent floods.

"These homes are vacant because they don’t yet have some of the essential things needed for a new whānau to move in. In many cases, they are not connected to power or may need repairs in essential areas such as the kitchen or bathrooms.

"We are working hard to assess our vacant homes to understand the extent of damage they may have as a result of the floods and what work needs to happen to get them ready for a new whānau.

"We hope to have a better understanding of the homes we have available to permanently rehouse some of our affected customers within the next two weeks.

"We will rehouse every one of our customers who were affected by the floods. However, this will take some time as we work through the extent of damage to our homes and find suitable homes in the right locations for these customers,’’ Ms Butterworth says.