Workers also reported not being provided with tenancy agreements or written terms of lodging, and landlords taking, but not lodging with Tenancy Services, a bond. It is common for workers to share a room with other workers and not to have security of tenure, for example workers reported living with approximately 40 other migrant workers in a three-bedroom house. Workers experienced broken plumbing, poor toilet facilities that were not properly addressed, no hot water and no heating during winter. These workers were not being provided with work and had to rely on their employer for food before eventually being evicted. The provision of food was inadequate, and some workers resorted to approaching people in the neighbourhood and asking them if they could pick fruit from their fruit trees. One worker reported being scammed by accommodation providers. He paid a significant deposit and signed a rental contract and then realised the contract was fake and there was no house. More common complaints were of cramped, unhealthy living conditions and unreasonable rents. One worker described living with a group of nine workers in a three-bedroom house with one bathroom. They were paying $140 each in rent per week. The Commission was also contacted by a concerned community member about a group of workers hosted at a campground during winter. This community member had organised blankets and bedding for these workers who did not have adequate bedding. They also said that these workers were evicted, despite not having secured adequate accommodation, so the campground could host a new group of migrant workers arriving in the country. Access to decent food can be problematic, largely driven by poverty. The Commission met with workers who have, because of their precarious economic positions, skipped meals and/or relied on cheap but inadequate food to sustain themselves, for example one worker said they were only eating bread since losing their employment. Problem: Many workers participating in the AEWV scheme pay unreasonable rents and/or receive substandard housing which is frequently provided by (or through) the accredited employer. Additionally, some workers report poor access to food because of poverty. Recommendations: Government: Expand and reconsider settlement support obligations including a structured scheme of support (independent of employers) for the AEWV scheme. Support should ensure that the right to an adequate standard of living is meaningfully protected and that supporting access to adequate accommodation is a requirement of employer accreditation. Business: Ensure obligations to support worker settlement are complied with and take steps to ensure they are receiving adequate accommodation. Ensure adequate accommodation is arranged for workers prior to their departure for New Zealand. Speak with workers about their housing situation and assist them in resolving any problems. 8.3 Right to health Health issues were a theme emerging from the Commission’s engagements with stakeholders. Some migrant workers were not supported or advised of their rights to access support from the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC), were dismissed due to injury, and remain vulnerable to physical assaults. One worker reported breaking a finger at work and being advised that, because of this, their employment could not continue. This worker was not given access to accident compensation. Another worker reported being physically assaulted by a superior in their employment. Additionally, a migrant worker advocate advised they had supported a worker who was assaulted after they had spoken out about their exploitation. The Commission also met with a migrant worker who said they had been physically assaulted by a landlord. 25