12. Question No. 12—Housing (Public Housing)NICOLA WILLIS (National) to the Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing)Question No. 12—Housing (Public Housing)12. NICOLA WILLIS (National) to the Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing): Is the Minister concerned about the Tenancy Tribunal's warning that Kāinga Ora is being compromised by its own sustaining tenancies" policy and how much compensation has the tribunal ordered Kāinga Ora to pay due to breaches of their duty under section 45(1)(e) of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 to ensure that none of their tenants interfere with the "reasonable peace comfort or privacy" of other tenants?Hon POTO WILLIAMS (Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing)): As the largest housing provider in the country Kāinga Ora takes its obligations under the Residential Tenancies Act seriously. Those who require public housing can sometimes have complex issues in their lives that may lead to behaviour that is disruptive. That's why the sustaining tenancies policy was initiated in 2017 to ensure that all practical steps are taken to address these issues and ensure everyone can live safe and secure in their home. When this does not occur I expect Kāinga Ora to take all necessary actions to resolve these situations and as such they have terminated 159 tenancies in the past year. It's important to note that when the Tenancy Tribunal makes a ruling around matters of compensation or breaches it does so on a case by case basis. I'm advised Kāinga Ora complies with this ruling and seeks to learn from these cases however any information on financial payments is kept on individual tenancy files and is not centrally located.Nicola Willis: How does she reconcile her statement just now that Kāinga Ora has terminated 159 tenancies in the past year with answers to written questions she has provided to me that show they have evicted zero tenants in the past three years?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: The member is confused about evictions versus tenancy terminations. The past approach of evicting children out on to the street or into motels did not work. Relocations ensure that children remain housed and that the individuals concerned are moved into more appropriate housing.Nicola Willis: When did she first learn that Kāinga Ora had been found by the Tenancy Tribunal to have failed its legal obligations to protect its tenants from being abused by their neighbours; and when she learned that information how did she act?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: Kāinga Ora appears before the Tenancy Tribunal in a number of instances. As I advised the House this week Kāinga Ora has a number of tools in their tool box to ensure that they meet the obligations under the Act. Kāinga Ora does and has on 159 occasions this past year terminated tenancies where necessary. I just want to make it clear that Kāinga Ora discharge their obligations as required when a ruling is made by the Tenancy Tribunal.SPEAKER: Order! It was a very specific supplementary question with two parts. While the general issue was addressed neither part of the supplementary question was addressed. Nicola Willis I'll ask you to ask it again.Nicola Willis: When did she first learn that Kāinga Ora had been found by the Tenancy Tribunal to have failed its legal obligations to protect its tenants from being abused by their neighbours and how did she react?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: I have to say that the Tenancy Tribunal hears matters involving Kāinga Ora on a range of subjects. The member is not being specific enough about a specific issue. If she would like to put that in writing we could pass that on to Kāinga Ora to respond. As I say Kāinga Ora appears in front of the tribunal on a range of issues and the member has failed to provide specificity in this case.SPEAKER: No. I'm afraid that the supplementary question is in the context of the primary question. It's not a general question about any old appearance for Kāinga Ora in front of the tribunal. If the Minister does not have the detail about when she was first informed of this she should just say so and that will address the question.Hon POTO WILLIAMS: I do not have the answer to that specific question.Nicola Willis: Does she think it is acceptable that a solo mother and her children living in a Kāinga Ora property were terrorised for so long by their neighbours that they had to go to the Tenancy Tribunal to get the Government landlord to wake up to its responsibilities and compensate her accordingly?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: What I do find unacceptable is the current commentary that it's OK to put families out on the street including children. It's never OK to make children homeless and I hope that no member of this House supports those views.Nicola Willis: Can the Minister confirm that I wrote to her outlining a number of cases at the Tenancy Tribunal where Kāinga Ora was found to have breached its legal obligations to its tenants and can the Minister advise this House whether that letter was the first time that the Minister became aware that the public landlord was breaching the law with regard to its tenants?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: To answer the first part of the question yes."