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Evaluating the government’s temporary housing

The Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) has released a report Evaluation of the Canterbury Temporary Villages on the temporary housing provided at Kaiapoi, Linwood Park and Rawhiti Domain. The report can be downloaded from here. The following is an extract from the executive summary:

To date, the temporary villages have provided a relevant and effective service to displaced Canterbury residents with property damage resulting from the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. Village residents interviewed have appreciated the villages for what they are: temporary accommodation while their homes are being repaired or rebuilt. Almost all tenants regard the accommodation as ‘more than adequate’, and the rent as ‘fair’. Property management issues are quickly and efficiently dealt with; there is flexibility around end dates that gives tenants peace of mind if their repairs are delayed. The non-property management services have been useful for tenants and providers alike.

The Report is 29 pages long and contains the following: Executive summary PART 1: Establishment of the villages

  • Background
  • Village development

PART 2: Evaluation findings

  • Eligibility
  • Rent and affordability
  • Property management
  • Tenants’ experiences of living in the temporary villages
  • Occupancy
  • Non-property management services

PART 3: Challenges and conclusions

  • Conclusion
  • Acknowledgement
  • Glossary

Appendix 1: Temporary village locations Appendix 2: Layout of villages Appendix 3: Documentation required by matching and placement coordinators Appendix 4: Evaluation methodology Appendix 5: Evaluation rubrics

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Southern Response – update on temporary accommodation issues

Southern Response have added two new FAQs dealing with arranging temporary accommodation. They are (click on the name to go to the web page):

I need to arrange approval from Southern Response for temporary accommodation while Fletchers do my repairs. I’ve found some potential temporary accommodation so what do I need to do next?

If I have been given four weeks’ notice about moving to alternative accommodation while my repairs take place, when should I contact the temporary accommodation team for approval of my claim?

Other temporary accommodation can be found by following those links. .

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Southern Response – temporary accommodation information

Southern Response have added more information to their website on accommodation allowances (here). The changes are to the section headed “What temporary accommodation costs will Southern Response pay?”
The whole of that section is reproduced below with the new material (as best as I can identify it) highlighted in yellow.

What temporary accommodation costs will Southern Response pay? 

Published 14 January 2013

Southern Response will pay for reasonable accommodation costs for you and your immediate family residing with you. This allowance also covers kennel or cattery fees for your domestic pets.
(Please note that your entitlement depends on the type(s) of policy(ies) you held when the earthquake(s) took place.)
If you have an Advanced Contents Cover policy
Southern Response will pay up to a maximum of $2000 for reasonable storage costs at a storage facility approved by Southern Response. We will continue your insurance cover while your household contents are at the approved storage facility.
Southern Response may also pay reasonable costs towards moving your household contents to the approved storage facility and the cost of returning your household contents to your house (this may also be covered under your house policy.)
And if you choose to put your household contents in a storage facility, you will need to liaise with AMI directly to get further insurance cover for the period your contents are in storage. 
If you have a Premier or Market Value House cover policy and have chosen to rebuild or repair with Southern Response
Southern Response will pay for removal costs under either of these AMI house policies (you will need to provide us with two removal cost quotes.) If a packing cost is included in the removal quotes, we will also cover this. Alternatively, if you wish to claim for costs spent on doing your own packing, we will reimburse actual costs incurred e.g. purchase of boxes and other packing material. 
There is no cover for storage of your household contents under these AMI house policies. If you choose to put your household contents in a storage facility, you will need to liaise with AMI directly to get further insurance cover.
If you elect our Cash Settlement or Buy Another House option, there is no cover for removal costs.  
If you have Standard or Premier Contents cover policy  
You may be eligible for removal cover but it will depend on what kind of AMI house policy you have. If you do not have an AMI house policy, there is no AMI removal cover.
AMI Standard and Premier Contents policies do not cover your contents while they are in storage. Whether you choose to store your household contents in a storage facility or another location of your choice, you need to liaise with AMI directly to get further insurance cover.

Added 16 Jan 2013: there is a small update here.

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Southern Response – temporary repairs to houses

Southern Response have updated their website with information for those awaiting either rebuilds or repairs, and wishing to stay in their existing damaged property until then. The following is from the new section (here) :

What should you do if you need temporary repairs to your house?

We are sometimes asked to do temporary repairs to a customer’s home to make it more habitable and comfortable, before the main repairs are done, or before the house is rebuilt.  This might cover things like cladding or roofing, insulation, drainage or removal of liquefaction. If you believe your property needs temporary repairs for you to be able to remain living there, please contact us to talk about your situation.  We look at each request individually, taking into account all circumstances. We need to ensure our customers live in weathertight, secure homes that they are able to heat, and that their home is structurally safe to live in.  Temporary Repairs for Rebuilds If your home needs repairs so that you are able to remain living there until it is rebuilt, the cost of doing these repairs will most commonly come from your temporary accommodation allowance or, if you choose, or from the funds allocated to rebuild your house.  We will ask you to enter an agreement that the cost of the repairs will:

  • Come from any temporary accommodation allowance you may have through your policy with us, or
  • Be repaid to us by you if you choose to take a cash settlement rather than build with us, or
  • Come from the rebuilding funds if you choose to rebuild with us, or
  • Be funded by an advance from us, which will be repaid by you before your rebuild begins.

We also need the agreement of any financially interested party (bank etc) before we can proceed with a temporary repair agreement. Customers will need to have a clear understanding that if they proceed down this proposed temporary repair path using rebuild funds, they will have less settlement funds from Southern Response to finally repair or rebuild their home. Temporary Repairs for Repairable Houses If you need repairs done so that you can stay in your house until the main repairs are done we will see if we can bring forward some of those repairs to enable you to remain living there.  We will only pay for repairs to any part of your house to be done once.  If temporary repairs would have to be redone as part of the main repairs, we are likely to choose to cash settle your entire claim so that you can manage the repairs in your own timeframe.

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