Kāinga Ora does not centrally record compensation payouts or instances of behaviour that require a police response, OIA responses show.
File photo. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
The housing agency's 'sustaining tenancies' policy has been scrutinised in recent months, after it was revealed Kāinga Ora has not evicted anyone in the past three years.
RNZ has spoken to a dozen neighbours who have shared stories of threats, abuse and violence that make them feel like prisoners in their own homes.
It is unclear how much Kāinga Ora has paid out to compensate some neighbours but of the Tenancy Tribunal decisions available online show at least $12,000 since 2019.
Kāinga Ora declined an RNZ OIA request asking for the total compensation paid out in the last five years on the basis it did not "centrally record" this information.
Another OIA request, asking for documentation discussing behaviour at Kāinga Ora housing in Whangārei in 2021 that required a police response has now been declined.
"The information you have requested is not centrally recorded, but is held across a number of different teams and files, which would need to be manually identified and reviewed for details that may be in scope," the response reads.
Kāinga Ora declined the request under section 18(f) of the Official Information Act which states the information can not be made available without substantial collation or research.
"There are instances of disruptive behaviour in our homes as there are in many homes around New Zealand. These range from issues with pets, to noise to more serious issues.
"As you will be aware there was a recent example of such behaviour in Church Street, Whangārei which involved police attendance."
Kāinga Ora said it worked with everyone involved when disruptive behaviour was reported in its homes, adding there was often two or more sides to any story.
