Homeowners Driven to Motorhomes to Avoid Kāinga Ora 'Neighbors'
December 1, 2022
PHOTO: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
Private property owners are leaving their homes and moving into campervans to get away from unruly Kāinga Ora neighbours.
A Christchurch woman says she sold up to preserve her mental health, while a Coromandel couple have rented out their home to save their marriage.
The Christchurch retiree, who RNZ has agreed not to identify, said after enduring several years of noise and abuse, the straw that broke the camel’s back was when her neighbour’s car went up in flames on the driveway.
“The car was exploding, the tyres were exploding, the whole flames up the bloody fence. It was 20 feet away from my bedroom window. I was expecting the windows were going to get blown out.”
Soon after, she decided to sell up, but she could not afford another home.
“I shouldn’t have been put in that position. I shouldn’t have had to be in that situation, but for my own health and my own sanity, it was the better of the options. It was either that or stay there and just become a nervous wreck and wait for the next blimmin’ incident.”
The woman’s motorhome is now parked up at a campground.