With the announcement that Auckland Council is going to redevelop housing for older Aucklanders, we meet some of the people who live in the villages.
Marion, Piringa Court Northcote
Like many older people having to carefully consider their living arrangements after owning their own home, and weighing up what they can afford, Marion decided she “wanted to be independent, not a burden.”
In 2004 she moved into a one bedroom unit at Piringa Court, opposite the Northcote Shopping Centre.
Piringa Court is 46 years old and there are aspects about Marion’s unit that aren’t ideal. It’s damp and cold, there’s no back door, and there aren’t enough communal washing machines for the number of people who need to use them.
“We’ve only got two washing machines in a communal laundry for 18 people. It would be nice to have another one or two machines. I often do my washing in the late afternoons when others aren’t using them.”
She likes the location of her unit, “It’s good having the supermarket so nearby. We’ve also got a good library and medical practice, and buses and shops are very handy. I’ve got a really good doctor”.
Marion is a prime example of someone who will benefit from plans to upgrade the housing for older people villages so they better meet their needs.
