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Citizen's advocate wins pensioner housing case

Wednesday 26 June 2013, 3:05AM

By New Zealand Justice Forum

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Graham McCready
Graham McCready Credit: Whaleoil

Citizens advocate Graham Mc Cready has won a case on behalf of Wellington tenants at Strathmore Court in Miramar. He won $700 each for two pensioners earlier this year after City Housing failed to do any maintenance for seven years, leaving the tenants living in damp cold drafty units that cost up to $285/month to heat in the Winter.

Mr McCready said " conditions for these elderly people were appalling and temperatures got down to 9 Degrees C with 90% humidity". Mr Mc Cready also won $450 for himself which in turn was offset against $450 Mr McCready owed City Housing.

City Housing applied for a rehearing but the Tenancy Tribunal threw out the application and the other pensioner tenants have won $700.00 each.The Adjudicator stated- “If the Tribunal had the power to award costs in the present case, I would have ordered the Council to pay costs because the application was bound to fail.”