Story: Housing and government

Market rents protest

The introduction of market rents for state house tenants in the 1990s made it very difficult for many tenants to make ends meet. In Auckland, the State Housing Action Coalition sought to support those who faced eviction for non-payment of rent. This included state-housing tenant Len Parker, who in 1999 barricaded himself in the basement of his state house to prevent his eviction, as shown in this television clip. Later that year an incoming Labour government abolished market rents for state housing tenants.

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TVNZ Television New Zealand

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How to cite this page:

Ben Schrader, 'Housing and government - A property-owning democracy', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/video/32435/market-rents-protest (accessed 27 April 2024)

Story by Ben Schrader, published 20 Jun 2012