Candidate Nureddin Abdurahman answers Renters United’s questions

VOTE HOUSING: LOCAL BODY 2022

Renters United asked every candidate in the Paekawakawa/Southern Ward 17 questions about the issues that most concern renters in their ward. Here are Nureddin Abdurahman’s responses in full.

Rapid fire questions

Are you a renter? Yes
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? Yes

Stable homes

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

1. we have a housing crisis in wellington and the only way we can address that is by building more houses. Building more homes will improve stability and security.
2. I support tenant group calls and advocate to ensure the central government
enhances tenant protections.

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

Labour councilors voted to ensure protection from eviction is part of a CHP, and other measures to
ensure we are best practice landlords. We will keep prioritizing this as the CHP is established, and
keep ensuring stable and sustained tenancies are core to Te Kainga. We also need to keep supporting and resourcing tenant advocacy such as the group we have voted to establish.

What steps will you take to end homelessness in Wellington?

Build more social and affordable housing through apartment conversions and partnerships with Mana Whenua and other Community providers. We’ve had close conversations with DCM, WCM, Kahungunu Whānau Services, KO, and Wesley – good practice is not to make emergency housing the provision of ending homelessness (for example 1 night shelters exasperate homelessness), but rather a housing first and assertive outreach program (What role does assertive outreach play in ending homelessness for people who are sleeping rough? (ahuri.edu.au), Housing First Wellington) Something we’re incredibly proud of this term is through Gender Minorities Aotearoa we have ensured a whole floor of City missions transitional housing is for Rainbow and gender diverse people experiencing homelessness. We need to continue on this path for supporting those not in the binary of hardship. A review of Te Mahana – WCC’s Homelessness strategy has already been initiated through the homelessness lead this term Teri O’Neill, and developing a plan for ending homelessness must be supported with the strategy of both our mana whenua partners in Tākai Here.

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?
Labour councillors voted to use Council powers to actively investigate unhealthy and unsanitary homes on behalf of tenants. We will continue to push for this. We also established a tenant advocacy service through Community Law and will continue to push for this to be extended and promoted, as well as through other services we fund such as CAB. Labour councilors pushed for mandatory education of landlords to be included in regulation and will keep pushing for greater regulation of property managers and all landlords. Being a landlord is not a right, and it needs to come with responsibilities.

What do you think Council should do to address power imbalance between landlords and tenants? If nothing, why?
Information, access to advice and support, local and central government regulation to protect tenants, greater numbers of social housing places, and greater supply all help achieve this. So does amplifying the concerns and voices of renters, something that Labour councillors and candidates are committed to.

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?

Yes. Labour councillors have done so in this term and have pushed WCC to stronger advocacy in this area, and I will continue to do so. We have all signed up to support the Renters United program and as a team that is majority renters, consider this an essential part of our role if elected.

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

Supply of all housing has been a massive problem in the particular supply of accessible, affordable housing. By widely up-zoning close to public transport and with large walking catchments around the inner city and suburban centers, the council can become part
of the long-term solution. Up-zoning would allow for more affordable housing options and also do more to increase the supply for the “missing middle” and low-income earners who cannot afford to rent in the entire Wellington region. . We also need to call for other tools to support affordability while we build more housing, and that includes measures like localized and time bound rent controls.

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?

We continue to support the Sustainability Trust to do the on the ground work to upgrade our
housing stock. We have supported moves to greatly reduce/eliminate character protections which have kept poor older housing at the expense of development of newer healthier homes. We support your Healthy Homes Commitment and we have also included measures in our District Plan to ensure new homes are healthy, warm , dry and accessible.

Anything else you want to share?

We remain concerned about the voter turnout for renters in Wellington and will continue to support measures to open up access to local government to give greater voice to renters and to break down the dominance of homeowners in engagement processes, voting, and representation in local government.

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

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In: Elections 2022, Wellington. .