The Christchurch City Council’s controversial rent increase for social housing has been overturned by the High Court. Legal action was taken by the welfare group the Council of Social Services (Coss), who have achieved a significant victory, with the High Court has also ordering the council to pay Coss’s legal costs for the judicial review. According to local news paper The Press;

The judge said the council failed to properly assess the significance of the decision and failed to give proper consideration to the tenants’ views. It had also failed to properly consider the implications of a government funding option to help upgrade the housing. As a result “the tenants have been substantially prejudiced”

Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker says he has not ruled out an appeal of the High Court decision. Parker claims that the ruling will result in substandard housing as there would be less money to spend on needed upgrades to the councils 2649 rental units. Parkers council had no trouble last August however finding $17 million to bail out local millionaire property developer David Henderson.

Commenting on the rent rise Wigram MP Jim Anderton said the council was found wanting for its failure to make a proper application to the Government for funding and one tenant said “I could not understand why the council did it. It was just greed.”

While the High Court decision may yet be appealed, in the meantime, council tenants, who between them will receive a million dollars in refunded rent, are celebrating. Kim St Claire, 75, described herself as being “over the moon.” Coss counsel Chris Hlavac told The Press “I think this case has always been about transparency and the need for local government to really be transparent, and I am pleased the court has found that,”