A woman whose son's severe health problems are being partly attributed to the mould in her state house says she has been offered a different house - but that's mouldy too.
Health professionals said the mould in Te Ao Marama Wensor's Glen Innes home was a contributing factor to her seven-year old's faulty heart valve and holes in his lungs.
Te Ao Marama Wensor in her mouldy home. Photo: Radio NZ / Kim Baker Wilson
Two years ago, her son was initially diagnosed with flu, but it turned out he had two holes in each lung, and an enlarged heart valve which pumps too much blood to his brain, causing clots.
He has had at least three strokes, and cannot run in case the valve ruptures and he has a heart attack.
Te Ao Marama Wensor's son Iriah, in hospital. Photo: RNZ/Lauren Baker
Ms Wensor said that last week, Housing New Zealand offered her a different house, across the city in Avondale, but when she went to look round, she found that it too was mouldy.
Black mould can be seen on the inside of some windows, along windowsills, in curtains, and at waist height around walls.
"It's disgusting and there's mould up on the curtains and the window ledges and everything. It's a real big worry."
Ms Wensor said she had turned down the offer because of the mould, but had been reassured she would not lose her place in the priority list.
The house in Avondale offered by Housing New Zealand. Photo: RNZ / Lauren Baker
Mould on the windows of the second house. Photo: RNZ/Lauren Baker
In a statement, Housing New Zealand said the recently offered house would have undergone a full maintenance and repair check, as would happen to all properties before a new tenant moved in, to make sure it was suitable.
It said it would keep looking for a house for Ms Wensor.
Meanwhile, she and her three children have moved in with her cousin, crammed into a two bedroom house, until there is a house safe enough for the family to go back to.