Elderly woman still looking for a flat

Press, 28 May 1984, Page 9

Elderly woman still looking for a flat

An elderly Christchurch woman who has to leave the flat she has lived in for the last 15 years, does not know where she will go next. Mrs Lois Mooney, aged 63, has to be out of her tworoomed flat by June 2. She began searching for another flat when given notice about three weeks ago but even after extensive inquiries, which included advertising in newspapers, she cannot find anything suitable. Mrs Mooney has had two strokes and is partly disabled. She walks with the aid of a stick; “All I want is a little cottage or a bach and I’d be content,” she said. Her present flat is one of two upstairs flats in a house owned by Mr Mark Williams, of Papanui. The flats have two rooms and share a bathroom. Mr Williams wants to convert the two flats into one flat and redecorate be-

fore re-letting. The two downstairs flats have already been redecorated and re-let. Mrs Mooney said she has no-one to pack for her and no friends she can turn to. The man who had been in the other upstairs flat, Mr Charles Morrison, had been looking after her. He was given notice and moved out about three weeks ago. Mr Williams has started work in that flat. Mr Morrison said he was unable to help Mrs Mooney right away. In six months he hoped to be able to buy a house with some money he was expecting. Mr Morrison had also been in his flat for 15 years when he was asked to leave. Mr Williams said Mrs Mooney had to leave be-, cause of renovations. It was an unfortunate story but there was nothing

bad or untoward about it, he said. It was a pity, but a landlord couldn’t become a social welfare worker. Mr Williams said he was quite friendly with Mrs Mooney and Mr Morrison “as a landlord and tenants go.” There was only one bathroom upstairs and “you can’t have people sharing bathrooms nowadays,” said Mr Williams. “Things are changing and getting more modernised.” Mr Williams said he thought the Christchurch City Council should do something for Mrs Mooney. She lived by herself, was not a well woman, and received meals-on-wheels. “I’d hate for her to fall down the stairs,” said Mr Williams. “She needs looking after.” The Social Welfare Department was seeing Mrs Mooney and it should do a bit more, he said.