The government decision to sell off Tauranga state houses is being resisted by State Housing Action Inc, which is demanding a judicial review of the decision.

It's in response to the government's announcement that the preferred buyer for State Homes in Tauranga is Accessible Properties.

Vanessa Kururangi. Photo: Chris Callinan.

'Whilst they have a good track record of providing social housing for people with additional needs, they really need to stick with what they know,” says SHA Inc secretary and Tauranga resident Vanessa Kururangi.

'Of course we have (mostly self-appointed) iwi leaders and Maori leaders within our community who have jumped on board to support Accessible Properties bid, but how these leaders came to the conclusion that they speak FOR Maori tenants when they haven't spoken TO Maori tenants baffles me,” says Vanessa on The Daily Blog

'They do not speak for any of the Maori whanau in state homes that I know because they haven't spoken with them.”

Vanessa feels they have just operated on a ‘I know what is best' level and decided that they would tautoko the process of tendering for these homes.

'Why? Because they want to play with the big kids. They want a cut of the deal, not realising, or perhaps not caring, about the long term effects it will have on our whanau. I may seem harsh, but this is my truth as it falls from my mouth.

'These homes are ours. They belong to us. All of us. And I'm bloody angry. I'm angry because there is no evidence that privatising state owned assets will in any way solve the housing crisis. I'm angry because OIA requests sent to Bill English will take so long to be responded to that the damn houses could be sold off before we get answers,” says Vanessa.

'I'm angry because the transfer of practically every state home in Tauranga fails to meet the Social Housing Reform Objectives (s.50D of the Housing Corporation Act 1974). I'm angry that the successful ‘preferred' tender (Accessible Properties) seems to have no obligation to show innovation or active responsibility to social housing – in other words, they don't have to prove how they will be better than the services we currently have. I'm angry about a whole lot of stuff that my heart and head knows is just plain wrong.”

SHA Inc. is being represented in court by a team led by Tauranga barrister Michael Sharp.

The legal action has become urgent since the government announced last Friday their preferred buyer of the houses is the IHC – through their company Accessible Housing, says Vanessa.

More details of the legal action will become apparent once papers are filed in court – possibly as early as later this week.

Meanwhile, SHA Inc is fundraising to support the action and has launched an appeal.

'We don't have money and will be relying on lots of small donations to get the case through court,” says Vanessa.

In anticipation anyone reading this appeal can help, our account details are:

Account name: State Housing Action Inc.

Kiwibank account No: 38 9018 0028715 00

'It's important to speak out strongly against what is going to adversely affect many generations to come. Those teens and twenty-somethings who are searching for Pokémon today, will be searching for homes tomorrow. Their chances of finding Pokémon is far higher,” says Vanessa.