Trina is living in a caravan park with her two children in North Canterbury, unable to find an affordable home to rent in, post earthquake .
Canterbury
Interview link : http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch-earthquake-2011/68063552/ive-had-enough--canterbury-caravan-mum
Trina Nesbitt cannot find a rental.
"I never dreamed it would be so hard to get a home.
"A mum with children? You don't get a look in. It's the prices of housing. It's just so expensive."
After the 2011 earthquake Nesbitt was forced to move from her rental home because the landlord tripled the rent after renovations.
She found a series of short-term homes and then a permanent one, but had to move out when the owners needed it for their own daughter, who was homeless.
Trina lost her job. A crash claimed the family car.
The caravan is cold, which eats at Nesbitt's arthritis.
She and her children share beds.
Her daughter has anxiety. It was getting better until they moved into the caravan.
On school days, Trina buses with her children to their schools. She chats to the teachers to make sure her children are doing OK. From there, she walks to the Kaiapoi library to house and job hunt until it is time to pick up them up.
She does not like going back to the caravan - a reminder of her "failure as a mum".
"It breaks my heart because I feel like I've let them down. Every day they say to me 'Have we found a house?'" she said.
Trina is on an urgent waiting list with housing NZ, however this list is excessively long, and she is above #2000 on this list.
Please help Trina an her beautiful children fund money to live, too many people have been swept under the rug since the 2011 earthquake
Run down of costs for moving and establishing home in Christchurch
Average weekly rent for a three-bedroom home in the chch is now close to $400
bonds can be as high as 6 weeks in advance in chch at the moment: $2400
letting fees (often a weeks rent) $400
two weeks in advance required by landlords if not included in bond: $800
moving costs dependent: $300 >
power bond if not established: $150
three weeks rent to stay ahead: $1200
crashed car replacement: $3000 or bus fare $500 (for kids to get to school, and for Trina to attend job interviews.)
I am involved as I am not only a friend of the family, but I am beyond frustrated with the current housing problem and family poverty within New Zealand. There are still families and people trying to survive after the earthquake with no assistance, and I believe this is unacceptable in a country like New Zealand
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