Candidate Ali Jones answers Renters United’s questions

VOTE HOUSING: LOCAL BODY 2022

Renters United asked every candidate in the Innes Ward 17 questions about the issues that most concern renters in their ward. Here are Ali Jones’ responses in full.

Rapid fire questions

Are you a renter? No
Do you own any properties? No
Do you support the Renters United Healthy Homes Commitment? Yes
Do you commit to funding tenant advocacy? Yes
Do you support councils retaining ownership an expanding supply of council housing? Yes
Will you lobby for IRRS to be extended to councils? Yes
Do you commit to densifying inner city suburbs? Yes
Will you commit to using your platform to abolish the ratepayers roll? No answer provided

Stable homes

What actions would you take to improve stability and security for private renters?

Build more homes, improve quality of current housing and ensure tenants are well matched to a home and community to help improve the longevity of that tenancy.

How will you ensure all council tenants have security of tenure?

I think the ccc and OCHT do a very good job of this already. By improving housing stock and building new homes, this helps as many people get into homes as possible, for as long as they need them.

What steps will you take to end homelessness in Christchurch?

Continue to build high quality, cost effective to run, social and community housing.

Meaningful enforcement

If elected, would you take steps to tackle persistent bad landlords who do not meet their obligations to renters in your area? If so, what?

What’s a “bad” landlord? If a landlord is breaking the law, behaving in an unreasonable way, they absolutely should be called out – either by applying the law or perhaps a well managed register that records breaches could be established?

What do you think Council should do to address power imbalance between landlords and tenants? If nothing, why?

I don’t think this is the councils job. Working with central government and other community agencies, ccc could absolutely work to improve knowledge, communication and access to individualised advice and support for tenants who need it.

Fair rent

Would you advocate for additional powers or resources from Central Government to address the housing crisis (such as legislating for Rent Control), if so what and how?

If the government is able to reduce the increasing costs that landlords face, then we should absolutely looking at rent controls. I also believe where rents are clearly unreasonable (there are standard rents, reasonable rents being charged), during a housing crisis the government should absolutely challenge the landlord to prove the rent is “reasonable” and direct them to reduce it if it is shown not to be.

What do you think are the main reasons rents in Christchurch are increasing? How would you ensure rents in Christchurch are affordable?

My understanding is that the increase in housing supply has meant a softening of rental costs across Chch. I understood that areas outside Chch (Selwyn and Waimakariri) have higher rents. Rentals costs are kept affordable if inflation reduces and housing supply increases.

Safe and healthy homes

What actions (in contrast to or in conjunction with our Healthy Homes Commitment) would you take to improve the quality of private rental housing in your ward and in your city?

Central government must act on this. I agree that local government and connected agencies could be better placed to visit homes and assess them but this must be properly funded by central government. Otherwise rates could go up and this will be passed on to renters as increased rental costs.

Anything else you want to share?

No answer provided

If you are a candidate or representative of a candidate and wish to correct or elaborate on the information please contact lbe22@rentersunited.org.nz.

Authorised by Geordie Rogers, geordie@rentersunited.org.nz

About the author:

rentersunited

In: Christchurch, Elections 2022. .