The comment was made during a symposium at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery yesterday, where University of Otago (Wellington) He Kainga Oranga/Housing and Health senior research fellow Dr Lucy Telfar-Barnard spoke about the university’s proposed rental housing warrant of fitness scheme.
"We’re looking for ways to lift the minimum standard of rental housing in the city, and in the country for that matter.
"We’re not allowed to sell food that makes people sick, but in this country it is still legal to sell accommodation that makes people sick.
"In fact it kills some people — and I think that’s an unacceptable situation which this country should be absolutely ashamed of."
He said the correlation between housing and health was undisputed.
"In Dunedin, as I understand it, roughly 30% of admissions to hospital are partly or wholly a result of poor housing.
"I think that the idea would be to have some decent minimum standards for rental housing in this country, and they should be mandatory.
"I know that the argument is it’s just another cost for landlords which they would pass on to their tenants.
"But it ignores the fact that tenants at the moment are paying the very high cost ... financially and in terms of their health anyway.
"So even if the full cost were to be passed on, they wouldn’t be worse off."
Dr Telfar-Barnard said the rental warrant of fitness was aimed at reducing house-related illnesses, safety hazards and injuries, particularly among children.
It was hoped it would be practical and bring health benefits, without raising rents, increasing homelessness or reducing rental supply.
"A mandatory system is the best way to do that."
The rental warrant of fitness was launched in Wellington recently and was being taken up voluntarily, but it was too early to say whether it was having the desired impact, she said.
She urged the Dunedin City Council to make the warrant of fitness mandatory in the belief it would have the "desired outcomes".
The event included a panel discussion with Mr Cull, Dr Telfar Bernard, Presbyterian Support Otago Family Works social work team leader Deb Gelling, University of Otago clinical senior lecturer in women’s and children’s health Dr Liza Edmonds, OUSA student support advocate Justene Allen and senior lecturer in environmental health with the department of preventive and social medicine Dr Alex MacMillan. About 50 people, including property owners, property managers and tenants, attended.
