Public Health South is willing to help in a multi-agency approach to address issues associated with a lack of housing in Queenstown.
Yesterday the Otago Daily Times reported this winter has been one of the most difficult for rental house hunters in the resort, with a lack of properties available and, for many, a lack of properties available within their budget.
In some cases, properties are being run as residential boarding houses with up to 20 tenants living in one house.
Southern DHB women's, children's and public health directorate medical director Dr Marion Poore told the ODT there had been some discussion with Queenstown's council on the issue.
Dr Poore said PHS was willing to start working on the kind of issues a lack of housing, or overcrowding, caused in a community.
''Obviously, it will take a multi-agency approach because there's no quick fix for something like this.
''It's going to take time but it is something that does need to be addressed.''
Dr Poore said while a lack of housing, or expensive housing, created additional stress within a family or flatting situation, which could lead to behavioural changes, there were many health issues associated with large numbers of tenants in a single property.
Some of the main problems associated with overcrowding were communicable diseases such as skin infections, which could be easily transmitted between people living in close proximity.
Similarly, respiratory infections, such as a recent outbreak of whooping cough, spread quickly through people living together.
There were also more serious diseases, such as meningococcal disease, which was associated with overcrowding.
''There was a case of meningococcal disease earlier this year where we found that there was a large number of people living in close proximity ... in the Queenstown area.''
Dr Poore said the Queenstown situation was concerning both for the individuals involved and for the community at large.
''[Overcrowding] does lead to a whole lot of risks and it's not an easy, straightforward problem to solve, and it does seem to be particularly associated with people who are visiting the area and perhaps working for a relatively short period of time in some of the lower-wage industries.
''The consequences of that are if you can't find a place to stay, often you're double bunking or perhaps even resorting to living in your car, and that's really not ideal.
''When there's an insufficient supply for suitable accommodation for [families], it certainly creates a great deal of difficulty.''
