Reasons tenants declined housing corporation tenancies
Greg Presland made this Official Information request to Kāinga Ora–Homes and Communities
The request was partially successful.
From: Greg Presland
Dear Housing New Zealand Corporation,
Yesterday Paula Bennett gave a speech and talked about actual or prospective housing corporation tenants who had turned down houses offered to them. The speech is at http://beehive.govt.nz/speech/opening-co...
She talked about prospective tenants complaining about birds chirping, the back yard being too small and the door being the wrong colour.
She mentioned 414 refusals in the past 12 months.
Please advise:
1. How many refusals were because of birds chirping?
2. How many refusals were because of the back yard being too small?
3. How many refusals were because the front door was the wrong colour?
4. How many refusals were because the house was damp or cold or mouldy?
5. How many refusals were considered appropriate.
I look forward to your response.
Yours faithfully,
Greg Presland
From: Graham Parkin
Dear Mr Presland
Thank you for your email received on 23 October 2015 requesting information under the Official Information Act 1982 on declined offers of Housing New Zealand houses.
You can expect to be notified of the decision on your request by 21 November 2015, being 20 working days after the day on which the request was received in accordance with section 15(1) of the Act. I will endeavour to reply earlier if possible.
If an extension of time is required to make a decision you will be notified prior to that date in accordance with section 15A of the Act.
We may also contact you if further clarification or refinement of your request is required to enable a decision to be made.
Kind regards
Government Relations Unit
Housing New Zealand
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From: Graham Parkin
Good afternoon Mr Presland
I want to clarify part of your request:
You have asked:
"She mentioned 414 refusals in the past 12 months.
Please advise:
1. How many refusals were because of birds chirping?
2. How many refusals were because of the back yard being too small?
3. How many refusals were because the front door was the wrong colour?
4. How many refusals were because the house was damp or cold or mouldy?
5. How many refusals were considered appropriate."
Do questions 1 to 5 relate to the 414 refusals or all refusals in the past 12 months?
Regards
Government Relations Unit
Housing New Zealand
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From: Greg Presland
Dear Mr Parkin,
Thank you for your email. You would have to check with the Minister the answer to that question. I had read the Minister's speech as suggesting that in total there had been 414 refusals in the past 12 months. I was not aware that there was more.
To simplify things can you answer these questions:
During the past 12 months:
1. How many refusals by actual or prospective state tenants of offered state houses were because of birds chirping?
2. How many refusals were because of the back yard being too small?
3. How many refusals were because the front door was the wrong colour?
4. How many refusals were because the house was damp or cold or mouldy?
5. How many refusals were considered appropriate.
Yours sincerely,
Greg Presland
From: Graham Parkin
There were more than 414 - do your question 1 to 5 refer to the 414 or to all refusals in the past 12 months?
Regards
Government Relations
Housing New Zeland
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From: Greg Presland
Dear Graham Parkin,
Let me rephrase the request slightly. There is data suggesting that in a 12 month period before Ms Bennett made her statement there were 414 refusals of state houses. Of that data set of 414 refusals:
1. How many refusals by actual or prospective state tenants of offered state houses were because of birds chirping?
2. How many refusals were because of the back yard being too small?
3. How many refusals were because the front door was the wrong colour?
4. How many refusals were because the house was damp or cold or mouldy?
5. How many refusals were considered appropriate.
Yours sincerely,
Greg Presland
From: HNZC Correspondence
Dear Mr Presland
Regarding your email received on 23 October 2015 requesting information under the Official Information Act 1982 on declined offers of Housing New Zealand houses.
An extension of time is required to 27 November 2015 to allow for consultation.
Kind regards
Government Relations Unit
Housing New Zealand
The information contained in or attached to this message is intended only for the people it is addressed to. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, disclosure or copying of this information is unauthorised and prohibited. This information may be confidential or subject to legal privilege. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete this message.
Please consider the environment before printing this email.
From: HNZC Correspondence
Dear Mr Presland
Please find attached a response to your Official Information Act request
of 23 October 2015
Regards
Government Relations
Housing New Zealand
The information contained in or attached to this message is intended only
for the people it is addressed to. If you are not the intended recipient,
any use, disclosure or copying of this information is unauthorised and
prohibited. This information may be confidential or subject to legal
privilege. If you have received this message in error, please notify the
sender immediately and delete this message.
Please consider the environment before printing this email.
From: Greg Presland
Dear HNZC Correspondence,
By way of a follow up request for official information related to this request can you provide me with a copy of any written briefing provided to the Minister concerning this request for information? I understand that briefings are provided as part of the no surprises policy.
Yours sincerely,
Greg Presland
From: HNZC Correspondence
Dear Mr Presland
Thank you for your email received on 18 October 2016 requesting the
following information under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act)
relating to a previous information request you made in October 2015:
“can you provide me with a copy of any written briefing provided to the
Minister concerning this request for information?”
You can expect to be notified of the decision on your request by 16
November 2016, being 20 working days after the day on which the request
was received in accordance with section 15(1) of the Act. If an extension
of time is required to make a decision you will be notified prior to 16
November 2016 in accordance with section 15A of the Act.
Regards
Mike Quinn
Senior Advisor Government Relations
Please do not respond to this email address as incoming emails are not
monitored. You may either contact Housing New Zealand through
[1]http://www.hnzc.co.nz/contact-us or email Housing New Zealand at
[2][HNZC request email]
The information contained in or attached to this message is intended only
for the people it is addressed to. If you are not the intended recipient,
any use, disclosure or copying of this information is unauthorised and
prohibited. This information may be confidential or subject to legal
privilege. If you have received this message in error, please notify the
sender immediately and delete this message.
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From: HNZC Correspondence
Dear Mr Presland
Please find attached a response from Racahel Kelly, Manager Government
Relations, Housing New Zealand, to your email of 18 October 2016.
Regards
Mike Quinn
Senior Advisor Government Relations
Please do not respond to this email address as incoming emails are not
monitored. You may either contact Housing New Zealand through
[1]http://www.hnzc.co.nz/contact-us or email Housing New Zealand at
[2][HNZC request email]
The information contained in or attached to this message is intended only
for the people it is addressed to. If you are not the intended recipient,
any use, disclosure or copying of this information is unauthorised and
prohibited. This information may be confidential or subject to legal
privilege. If you have received this message in error, please notify the
sender immediately and delete this message.
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From: Greg Presland
Dear HNZC Correspondence,
Can you advise if the Minister or any other Minister was advised of my request under the no surprises policy?
Yours sincerely,
Greg Presland
From: Michael Quinn
Dear Mr Presland
Please find attached a response from Rachel Kelly, Manager Government
Relations, Housing New Zealand, to your email of 18 October 2016.
Regards
Mike Quinn
Senior Advisor Government Relations
Please do not respond to this email address as incoming emails are not
monitored. You may either contact Housing New Zealand through
[1]http://www.hnzc.co.nz/contact-us or email Housing New Zealand at
[2][HNZC request email]
The information contained in or attached to this message is intended only
for the people it is addressed to. If you are not the intended recipient,
any use, disclosure or copying of this information is unauthorised and
prohibited. This information may be confidential or subject to legal
privilege. If you have received this message in error, please notify the
sender immediately and delete this message.
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Luke C left an annotation ()
This is a good response from Housing New Zealand because it answers your question and goes so far as providing a copy of what advice was sent to the Minister.
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Luke C left an annotation ()
Hi Greg
After reading the response from HNZ denying no briefing took place, I agree with your decision to ask whether people were advised of your request.
A "briefing" tends to be a formal communication that can be either verbal or written, whereas "advice" can take a range of forms from a memo to a phone call, and it is the appropriately broad term to use.
I probably would have simply asked "was a Minister, a Minister's office, or MBIE, advised of, or consulted on, my OIA request of 23 October 2015? If so, please may I have a copy".
Link to this