Pictured: Lynda McKenzie
Pensioner Lynda McKenzie no longer feels safe in the complex she has called home for some 18 years of her life. Within her flat in the Ōtautahi Community Housing Trust complex at Pickering Court, she feels fine. A neighbour keeps an eye out for her each day to make sure she is all right. But since the trust took over managing Merivale’s Pickering Court in 2016, life has changed.
Now social disorder is part and parcel of her life in what she describes as a “gorgeous” and “liveable” place.
To underline her concerns for safety, a few days after the interview, she says that two armed officers stood guard over a neighbour’s property overnight. One of the tenants slept in her car, while her partner spent time in the Police cells. The following day, 8 to 9 Police cars filled the driveway to the complex and the carpark as the neighbour’s property was searched. Lynda says, nothing was found.
During the interviews, Lynda talks about her first impressions of the complex, changes to the rent and the tenants, and her relationship to the trust, which she says she “despises”. We also see the response from the Ōtautahi Community Housing Trust. See Lynda’s video.
Lynda’s First Impressions of Pickering Court
“It was very new to him at the time too. It was just a position that he’d only just accepted and embarked upon. And he had great hopes and dreams for social housing as a whole.”
“I thought it was lovely, actually. I still think it’s lovely. I still think it’s probably one of the best complexes in Christchurch. The units are liveable. They’re small but they’re liveable. The actual surroundings are gorgeous, because, I mean, there’s lots of mature trees and nice gardens, and it’s all nicely kept, and it’s in the middle of Merivale, so who wouldn’t like it. It’s lovely.”
Initially Pickering Courts was a council-owned complex and managed by former Police officer Bob Hardie.
“Bob did come and I did speak to Bob. He had…It was very new to him at the time too. It was just a position that he’d only just accepted and embarked upon. And he had great hopes and dreams for social housing as a whole.”
According to Lynda, Hardie had a vision for the complex.
“I think just creating communities where people live together happily, and harmoniously, and were affordable. And I must say the Trust, and the council before them, have certainly kept abreast of updating them as far being insulated and things like that. I mean they started out not being insulated, but as the years went on, they have definitely been improved and things have kept up with-you know-what’s required. I just think he saw it as a very good, alternative, reasonably priced way of living.”
The Ōtautahi Community Housing Trust’s website says the trust was formed “out of the Christchurch City Council’s wish for a financially sustainable model for its social housing portfolio” and took on managing 2300 council units. That portfolio included Pickering Court and Lynda’s tenancy. Since then, Lynda has observed changes to the rent, tenant pool, her safety, and her own relationship with the trust.
A Rental Split
“Well, there’s two prices for living in here. There’s those of us who have been here since the year dot. And we pay $167, because we signed a contract with the then council agreement. But since the Trust took over, the people that signed their contract only pay $82 a week, so there’s quite a difference in the rents that are being paid by the long-time tenants, which one would have thought would have been, you know, the perhaps more favoured, and the ones that haven’t been here quite as long.”
Pictured: Pickering Courts, Merivale
Social Disorder at Pickering Courts
“We have an awful lot of Police callouts; we have domestic fights; we have tenant-on-tenant altercations; we have drinking problems; we have drug problems, drug-related problems; we have ambulances coming and going; we have Police coming and going constantly. It’s just difficult”
“The tenant pool has changed completely. When I first came here, it was mainly older people and people with slight disabilities. They [the latter] were still able to look after themselves. But they had various physical or mental disabilities. The sort of people you would imagine would be in, you know, the old-age pensioner unit type-things.”
“When the trust took over, their tenant pool changed. And tenants are now drawn from Corrections, from the mental health system, and the homeless. All of which deserve housing. All of which-I don’t know how else they would get housing-but it makes a very difficult living, when you don’t fall into any of those categories.”
“It makes it very difficult when you’re living cheek by jowl to people that you would probably in everyday life would never ever have encountered. And now, you know, you’re now expected and have to somehow live harmoniously with people that are just not made to mix.”
“What hasn’t happened more like it. We have an awful lot of Police callouts; we have domestic fights; we have tenant-on-tenant altercations; we have drinking problems; we have drug problems, drug-related problems; we have ambulances coming and going; we have Police coming and going constantly. It’s just difficult.”
Feeling Unsafe
“I feel safe inside my unit. I feel a lot less safe than I used to. But then most people would say that nowadays, I think. It’s just a fact of life that, you know, the environment is not as safe as it used to be. But, yes, I definitely feel somewhat threatened by some of the tenants.”
“Initially, I threw myself wholeheartedly into the community aspect of things. But over the years. No, the community of people I used to do a newsletter each month, and. Organise little get-togethers and things like that. But now I think I pretty much stay inside my own unit. It’s a wee bit scary out there.”
“I feel safe inside my unit. I feel a lot less safe than I used to. But then most people would say that nowadays, I think. It’s just a fact of life that, you know, the environment is not as safe as it used to be. But, yes, I definitely feel somewhat threatened by some of the tenants.”
Lynda says she has called Police. And some tenants and visitors have made her feel unsafe.
“It’s periodic. It’s a lot more often than I would like. From my own personal experiences, being with tenants. But there are people coming in that you would not like to meet on a dark night.”
Of most concern to her is the presence of visiting gang members.
“To be honest, and I’ve got to stress this, they [the gangs] haven’t done anything. None of their actions have been provocative or confronting at all. The only thing that is unsettling is the sheer numbers sometimes, and the fact they’re all in their patched jackets; I mean, it’s, they themselves haven’t done anything. They, and, I mean, I wouldn’t be scared to go down and walk past them, but there are tenants that are. But that’s, I’ve got to emphasise, their actions have never ever caused any problems; it’s simply their presence. They don’t do anything intimidating; they just simply are.”
Lynda struggled to articulate daily life in Pickering Courts.
“I think it’s probably so far beyond the comprehension of most ordinary people to know what it’s like living here. I honestly don’t know how I could make anybody understand.”
“I think probably it sums it up; because I’ve said this quite often to people: there’s 25 units in this complex; and I tend to say to people you don’t only live your life; you live 24 other lives as well. There’s absolutely just no getting away from it; because you hear it; you hear it through the walls; you hear it through the windows; you hear it in the middle of the night; you see it; you have to live around it; you have to live with it. It’s like living in the middle of a crowd.”
Lynda has communicated her concerns to the trust.
“I do write to Bob from time to time when things get really bad. And I usually get a very nice reply. But nothing ever really happens to change it. The trust in general, I absolutely despise, because they treat us like-and you’re going to have to think of a polite word for this-like a piece of shit, like we don’t matter. As long as you’re paying your rent, they don’t want to know. They don’t care. They’re arrogant.
The Trust has responded:
“OCHT is a large community housing provider with around 2,500 homes and 2,700 tenants and we house those most in need of housing.
As a social landlord, we collaborate, advocate and partner to achieve outcomes for tenants and community.
We support tenant wellbeing by providing a range of adjunct services. If tenants have concerns, we actively follow these up in a professional and respectful manner.
OCHT actively investigates complaints and will refer concerns to other agencies if it is outside the landlord responsibilities.
We take all tenant concerns seriously and follow up in writing or in person. Our team visited Ms McKenzie on 30 March to discuss her concerns.
OCHT takes complaints seriously and we meet with tenants to listen to them and at times we point them towards other agencies that can help such as NZ Police. Our team are well trained and very much aligned with our wish to support tenants respectfully.”
Lynda acknowledged the tenancy manager visited her on 30 March. She conveyed her feelings during a long conversation but has not heard back from the Trust.
An Encounter to Forget
“And she stormed over to the other side-my neighbour’s side-slapped the wall by her door and said “this is her side”. She came back over to my side. She slapped my wall by my door and she said “this is your side”. And she had her face about half an inch away from my nose.”
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