Dear Kāinga Ora–Homes and Communities,
KAINGA ORA STAFF ARE ALSO ITS' TENANTS>
I received a response to my OIA request on 01-March-2024 from Don Badman.
Due to the volume of information, I seek further clarification on some information at this time with more to follow up on at a later date.
1) Q: What is K/O Policy on staff who,during the course of their employment become eligible as tenants of K/O?
Ans: "K/O staff are subject to the same application processes & procedures as any other individual.That is ,in order to qualify for public housing,they need to have applied to,and been assessed by MSD,who manage the Housing register".
Comment: Are you suggesting that K/O staff have an income comparable to WINZ or MSD beneficiary?
That staff are living in emergency housing and cannot feed and house their children? That staff somehow are assessed as being more in need,get public housing when there has been an increase in demand and growing.
How did 45 staff gain a higher priority than vulnerable applicants?
You say 3 staff were declared as tenants (May to May) 2020, 15 in 2021 , 5 in 2022 & 12 in 2023 then from 31-May-2023 to 19-Feb-2024 ten staff declared themselves to be K/O tenants.So in less than 3 yrs &.8 months forty-five staff have appropriated 45 properties which could be construed as unfair enrichment given the majority of housing applicants would have an annual income of less than $30,000.

You do not state whether this was for the Lower Hutt region or for the whole of NZ.
Were these staff members offered housing of their choosing by K/O's in- house allocation team?
Were any staff taken from the housing register for declining an offer of housing due to area or the rental being a dump?
Has K/O undertaken any independent audit of staff declarations regarding their applications for K/O housing?

2) You say staff must follow the Public Service Commission's Principles and Values.I was more interested in K/O's Code of Conduct.I would like that Code disclosed in the Close to Home Leaflet so tenants are better informed regarding conduct and if disclosed, tenants will be better informed in a positive manner, rather than the regular back-patting articles.
Why was I not given a copy of the Code?
When I assert a staff member(s) have lied,are they required to provide a sworn statement
to back themselves?

3) I made 2 complaints about K/O Lower Hutt to K/O's Integrity Line & 2 to K/O's Complaints Commissioner.I had much difficulty finding any information on this Commission & of course K/O do the bare minimum to inform tenants of their options.I did not receive a response to my 4 serious complaints.
No evidence of where my complaints disappeared to within K/O was given.
I request, as with the Code of Conduct, full details and operational scope of that Commission is published regularly in The Close to Home leaflet.All tenants receive that publication.Not all tenants want to burrow about in K/O's dark portals.
Q: Who at K/O are responsible for disclosing matters to customers in the spirit of transparency?

4) I identified a Lower Hutt K/O property as being granted a consent to have a Woodsman Totara inbuilt fire installed at an estimated cost of $5000 which is uncommon.I did make sure to note the inconvenience and running costs of this mode of heating would be unsuitable for a person who has challenging health needs vs a heat pump's advantages.
Ans:"Occasionally K/O customers make requests for solid fuel burners to be installed.These are generally for respiratory health conditions that heat pumps can aggravate.These requests are sent to the Asset manager for approval on a case-by case- basis"
I am very incredulous at this response.
Please refer yourself to Hitachi Heat Pumps (e.g only) and its research on Indoor Air Quality or IAG.
It includes immediate effects of exposure to poor indoor quality air can cause eyes,nose or throat allergies & chronic respiratory illnesses flare ups or worsened symptoms etc etc.Hitachi's AC solution for large particles and allergens can be filtered out by the stainless steel pre-filter.
Refer also to Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ urging the public to consider the implications of older or incorrectly used wood burners on community respiratory health
this winter (08-July-2020)
"We know that ongoing exposure to smoke from residential wood-burning fires is harmful and can be associated with increased respiratory symptoms and hospitalisation in both children and adults,"says CEO,ARFNZ
ALSO:Dr.Guy Coulson,Urban Air Quality Scientist at NIWA says in part:..."These newer burners haven't been tested in real life yet so may in fact emit more pollutants than lab tests suggest.'
Q: Why has Mr Badman stated that heat pumps can aggravate respiratory health conditions?
This is EXTREMELY SERIOUS and could K/O's decision to install heat pumps be regarded as reckless and at risk of compromising tenants' health?
Why have tenants not been informed of this risk to health especially as some people assume they may have a minor infection and not anything more serious?
What is K/O policy?

5) I requested my OIA request regarding K/O circumventing their transfer policy regarding myself, be passed on to the Kaigna Ora Board as K/O have a duty to report its own negligence.
Mr Badman replied: NOTED.
Please confirm whether my OIA request and my ongoing concerns are to be forwarded or not.
What is K/O policy?

Yours faithfully,

k humphreys