They were among the first refugees brought to Dunedin, where they were given a shabby, two-bedroom Kāinga Ora house. Yara*, 19, and Karam*, 21, are raising Ali in one room in South Dunedin, after being removed from the housing waiting list. Yara and Karam went on the waiting list for a Kāinga Ora house last May and were offered a house last October. A media release dated January 22, 2016 about the programme says a client who declines a "suitable" property without good reason "may" now be removed from the housing waiting list. There were more than 24,000 people on New Zealand’s housing waiting list, many with complex needs.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 06, 2026 16:22 UTC