Squatting protest in derelict house

Press, 2 July 1983, Page 9

Squatting protest in derelict house

Thirty or 40 people representing the homeless in Christchurch and various other groups squatted in a derelict house in Worcester Street yesterday. Their protest was part of a national campaign forming Christian Action Week. The week has been sponsored by the Catholic Commission of Justice and Development, the National Council of Churches, and the Ecumenical Secretariat on Development. An executive officer of the Christchurch Catholic Commission, the Rev. John Curnow, said yesterday’s protest went fairly well considering the weather. A petition was circulated

in Cathedral Square and was presented to the member of Parliament for Selwyn, Miss Ruth Richardson, who will pass it to the Minister of Housing, Mr Friedlander. “It has brought to public attention the needs of homeless people,” Father Curnow said of the squatting protest. In Auckland, about 40 people picketed an empty State house in Skipper Avenue, Mount Roskill, as part of a national day of action organised by members of the New Zealand Housing Network. A spokesman for the group, Mr Gavin Rennie, said the action was being

taken to highlight what he called a lack of official recognition for “the very real plight” of the homeless. Members of the Auckland Tenants’ Protection Association delivered a refrigerator to the Housing Corporation’s office in Rutland Street. The refrigerator, which was addressed to the Minister of Housing, Mr Friedlander, was daubed with messages including: “Like this fridge, the freeze is not working.” Several policemen were called to the office and were present when the corporation’s assistant manager, Mr Neville Neilson, asked the group of about 20 people to leave.