Supporting improved housing and living conditions

A healthy home is important for the health and wellbeing of individuals, families and communities. There are groups of people in Aoteaora who have worse health outcomes due to less control over the quality, type, affordability, and occupancy of their homes, especially:

• people with disabilites;
• renters in private of social housing;
• Māori and Pasifika;
• individuals or families on low incomes;
• families with infants;
• elderly people on fixed incomes;
• solo parents; and
• people with complex health or mental health needs.

Aoteoroa is also experiencing a “housing crisis” with some of the least affordable and poorest quality housing in the world. Our national Building Code is behind other comparable countries and there has been persistent under supply of the housing needed for our communities.

• Find out about housing outcomes across Aotearoa New Zealand (Ministry of Housing and Urban Development).

The National Public Health Service in Canterbury has identified six key areas where supporting better housing outcomes will improve health and wellbeing:

1. Ensuring equitable outcomes for renters in social and private housing.
2. Increasing appropriate housing options for people with disabilities.
3. Reducing harm to those with hoarding behaviours.
4. Collaborating for solutions to address energy poverty.
5. Supporting solutions for financial disadvantage.
6. Coordinating the housing sector, so it is more responsive to needs.

The National Public Health Service – Te Waipounamu hosts a quarterly Housing Forum for Waitaha, where anyone with any mahi or interest in learning more about housing and services is welcome.

• Find out about how Te Mana Ora | Community and Public Health deals with insanitary housing issues, such as hoarding behaviours.

Supporting renters and tenants in Canterbury

Data and research consistently show that renters in our motu live in the worst houses. Rental homes are more likely to be cold, damp, draughty, and unaffordable for the people living there. As these households spend more of their income on rent, they have less to spend on power bills, which adds to how unhealthy rentals can be.

Tenant advocates are professionals who work either one on one or with a systemic approach to support tenant rights that meet the needs of the renting population. In Ōtautahi, we have a network of tenant advocates who meet regularly and work together.

• Learn about the members of the Christchurch Tenants Advocacy Network (ChChTAN).

There are also national groups working to protect tenants health and wellbeing. People living in social rental housing – owned and rented out by the Government or funded by the Government – have better health and wellbeing compared to people living in private rentals. This is because social housing is more likely of better quality, so warmer and drier, and because these are secure tenancies that will only end if residents start making too much money to qualify for this house.

• Find out more about the wellbeing differences between private and social housing rentals in New Zealand (Public Health Communication Centre Aotearoa).

The Healthy Homes Standards (HHS) set the quality standards that private rentals must meet to keep rentals warm, dry, and healthy for tenants. It is much harder to enforce these standards on private rentals as ownership is so spread out around our population. This means that currently tenants need to stand up for their own rights to a healthy home and understand what the HHS are.

• Find out more about the Healthy Homes Standard for rental properties, including a checklist for tenants (Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment).
• Get advice on finding and getting a rental [378KB PDF].
• A guide for renting later in life for elderly or older adults.

Addressing issues for low-income or vulnerable households

Elderly people, young children, and people with low or fixed incomes often find themselves in poor quality housing that is hard to heat in the winter and keep cool in the summer. Such houses have little to no insulation, poor ventilation and moisture issues leading to mould, and are also draughty. This means that the residents have to deal with higher power bills and also additional impacts on their health.

• Learn more about energy poverty within low-income household in Aotearoa (Public Health Communication Centre Aotearoa).
• Stay warm and well this winter (Community and Public Health 2019).
• Stay cool and well this summer (Community and Public Health 2019).

Health and other government agencies and partners need to invest in healthy housing that takes less energy to keep dry and at a healthy temperature.
The Healthy Homes Initiative is an example of this kind of investment in New Zealand. It has saved millions of dollars a year in fewer hospitalisations, GP visits, and prescriptions for children. Young kiwi’s get a fair go at the start of life, and whānau see many other benefits because of this programme.

There are numerous community, government, and energy organisations in Canterbury collaborating to get more power into the hands of communities vulnerable to energy poverty and increasing costs.
The Canterbury Energy Wellbeing Collective supports and runs programmes that help communities access affordable and sustainable power.

More and more households are being pushed into poverty with the increasing cost of living. Low-income households or those on fixed incomes can also be locked out of affordable housing that supports their health and wellbeing. So it’s important for them to know who to talk to about financial support options including making the most of their budget:

• The Beneficiary Advisory Service supports people in Christchurch City and the Waimakariri District on government benefits around MSD entitlements and housing as well as other support services. You can call them on 0800 00 00 43.
• Money Talks connects people with financial advisors to help them out of financial hardship. You can call them on 0800 345 123 or free text 4029 for advice.

Making housing accessible for people with disabilities

People with disabilities can find it very difficult to find a home that is suitable for them. Aotearoa NZ has a world renowned accreditation system called LifeMark for designing and building accessible homes for people with disabilities. However we do not have legislation that requires new builds to have any accessible functions. This persistent lack of accessible housing results in increased disadvantage for people with disabilities, and then worse health and wellbeing outcomes.

Community and Public Health | Te Mana Ora facilitates a local network of people who want to focus on increasing the stock and access to accessible housing for people with disabilities. This structural problem is complex, but there are some organisations attempting to address this gap in Canterbury:

• Accessible Properties;
• St John of God;
• Enable; and
• Kāinga Ora.

Tips for keeping cool and energy conscious this summer

Dealing with hot and humid days in summer can present some issues. You might need to keep your house cool without needing to blast your heat pump.

• Find out how to stay cool and well this summer (Community and Public Health).
• Get tips for keeping your house cool this summer (Community Energy Action).
• Get tips on saving on your power bill during summer (Community Energy Action).

Summer is also a good time to check your insulation and address any issues – so that you are ready before winter.

How to find a healthy rental property

You may be looking for a new flat this year especially as the beginning of the university academic year approaches.

Use this PDF tenant checklist to help you find a healthy rental (Raise the Standard).

Warmer Kiwi Homes Tool

Find out if you are eligible for a grant for heating or home insulation and connect with a service provider for a no-obligation quote.