MP’s mental health warning ‘appalling’
Act Party leader and Epsom MP David Seymour has been accused of fuelling prejudice after he sent a letter to constituents warning that tenants in a new housing development could have mental health issues.
Seymour stands by the letter, saying the social housing project had a history of anti-social behaviour and he was “telling it like is”.
Housing New Zealand (HNZ) has applied to the Auckland Council to replace a run-down residential building with a five-storey, 25-unit complex on Banff Ave, Epsom.
In a letter to residents, Seymour invited them to voice their concerns at a public meeting and said the development would put pressure on local infrastructure.
He added: “There is also a chance that some of the future residents will have social and mental health issues who will need to have special support measures in place.”
The public meeting last Thursday was a fiery affair, and Seymour was forced to step in after residents became furious with HNZ officials.
Housing Minister Phil Twyford said Seymour’s letter was “appalling”.
“David Seymour is fuelling people’s worst prejudices,” he said.
Twyford said the Epsom MP was scaremongering by using such language in his invitation to residents.
He said one in six Kiwis had been diagnosed with a common mental disorder at some time in their lives, and it was irresponsible for an MP to stigmatise them. “Anyone, from any community, can suffer from mental health issues. Whether you live in a 10-bedroom mansion or a state house is irrelevant.”
Seymour was unrepentant, saying it was more important to solve the problem than be “precious” about his language. “Frankly, sometimes you need to tell it like it is. And the truth in this particular case is that people in this neighbourhood have been victimised by Housing New Zealand.”
Constituents had raised various problems with the Banff Ave site and these would only get worse if the development was made five times bigger, Seymour said.
He and his constituents understood the need for housing supply to increase and that not all people could buy homes on the private market.
“None of that’s controversial. The question is are you going to dump 25 dwellings’ worth of people into a location where they don’t have proper support?”
Housing NZ was not required to notify the neighbourhood of its plans, and some residents complained they had been left out of the loop.
Clare Turner, said she was concerned about the safety of children on the busy street. “My daughter should be able to go . . . for icecream and not be afraid.”