Russian couple in Wellington faces eviction by the State from their house of 18 years

This is very personal to me as it affects two very dear friends of mine who are being evicted from their state house were they have lived in peace for 18 years because this government has an ideology of pushing people who have very little into the private sector (or onto the street if they cab’t pay) and is making money from the selling of state houses

I know Vladimir and Tatyana well. They are both people who have given a huge amount back into their community and this is how they are being treated.

They have treated the place they live with the care they would to their own house; they fall below the income threshold for social housing; they pay near-market rates and have even (when they both had full-time work) offered to buy the property (which is ‘not for sale’ because ‘it is state housing’)

Traditionally in this country social housing has provided the ONLY security of tenure for people who cannot buy their own house (and now that includes just about everybody) – the private sector has always been highly-exploitative and there is no security in terms of either tenure nor rent levels.

Now the government is entering the same game.

All this is par for the course under this fascist government that will cut every corner when it comes to people's welfare but think nothing of spending millions on a flag referendum or bribing a Saudi businessman.

If you go to the original article the bulk of the letters make for depressing reading and it has the ring of an organised campaign of trolls.

Seatoun Housing New Zealand tenants lose home of 18 years

Vladimir Zvegintsev and Tatiana Zvegintseva face having to leave their Housing New Zealand home of 18 years.

Stuff,

17 March, 2016

Seatoun Housing New Zealand tenants Vladimir Zvegintsev and Tatiana Zvegintseva are being kicked out of their home of 18 years and they don't know why. 

The couple, who moved to the house as Russian political refugees in 1998, received a letter from the Ministry of Social Development on February 9 informing them they no longer qualified for their two-bedroom house. 

Vladimir, 58, said he was confused because they earn well below the maximum threshold of $864.30 for a couple. 

He said he suspected they were being evicted because their son no longer lived with them, making the house technically too big for them. 

In 2014 the Government's "house for life" policy ended. 

Since then tenancy reviews have been taking place and many like Vladimir and Tatiana, who pay near market rent, have no longer been eligible for housing. 

Vladimir said it left him and others not being able to find an affordable home and having to leave the community. 

"People have no security in their houses," he said.

"We made this our home. For us it was important to build relationships with our neighbours and over the years we have built a sense of community around us." 

In Russia, Vladimir was a teacher and his wife was a computer programmer. 

Now they get by on a meagre income from Tatiana's fulltime work as a bookkeeper and Vladimir's part-time work as a special needs support worker. 

They said they had been model tenants, had always paid rent on time and had never even had a broken window. 

"We are not young people," Tatiana, 61, said. 

"This has been horrible. I'm in such a stress right now. I've developed a fear of receiving letters. If we are evicted from this house it will ruin our lives."

Ministry of Social Development deputy chief executive Carl Crafar said he could not comment on the the case because the couple had requested a review of the ministry's decision that they were no longer eligible for social housing. 

"It is not appropriate for us to comment until this review is completed," he said.

Vladimir and Tatiana said they just wanted to continue living in their home and paying their rent each week. 

"We had no problems for 18 years," Vladimir said.

A State Housing Action Network Wellington branch formation meeting is being held at St John's Convention Centre, March 30 at 6pm.

The State Housing Action Network tries to help the State and Social Housing tenants in difficult situations.

 - The Wellingtonian

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