Not sure what is more amazing – that the “reporter” couldn’t bring itself to mention that this is National led government policy in action after Labour evicted zero KO tenants for years, or that National have completely failed to trumpet this announcement in their own press release.
Anyway, this is great news for long suffering neighbours of arsehole KO tenants and long suffering taxpayer landlords of KO tenants who don’t bother with paying rent or damage their homes.
No Minister 
17 out of 73K is around 0.02% so hardly a huge increase and suggests that this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Where are these evictees living now? Are we back to the “good old days” of living in cars and garages that Labour tried and failed to fix?
KO is top of the tree for social housing… Below that is council housing and then various social housing NFP outfits.
If you get kicked out of KO housing for being a complete idiot.. Well tough, sleep under a bridge.
Having worked for a previous incarnation of KO a few decades ago… The problem tenants are around 1 to 2 percent of the total. And within that there was a total feral bunch who on eviction for non payment of rent and extreme anti social behaviour would trash the house. Taking the house for a number of weeks while it was fixed and redecorated. That percentage is still there today and maybe a little larger given constant breeding on the DPB…
Sympathy for people only extends so far. And when they destroy others peace and quiet or property, well sympathy expires…
Anti-social behaviour evictions aside, a perusal of the Tenancy Tribunal website reveals Housing NZ tenants who are evicted owing an eye-watering amount of unpaid rent, often up to $40K.
Even when details are under suppression, it’s odds on that a “Vs. NONE” decision where a large amount of rent is owed is a Housing NZ “client”.
Worse, tenants are often allowed to remain in place after agreeing to pay back huge arrears at $10 per week.
https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/TT/
KO have a process so ratbags get a chance to stop being ratbags. For six years they knew they could do as they please. That’s ended. Good news, but I guess there’s just no pleasing some people.