Housing For Older People

Rotorua Lakes Council provides 152 housing units for older people.

These units are located in Ngongotaha, Fenton Park, Glenholme and Westbrook.

A large number of Council's units are bedsits with the remainder being one-bedroom units. Each unit has its own kitchen and bathroom facility, and all units are fitted with smoke alarms.

Partnership to improve pensioner housing

In August 2025 we announced a partnership with community housing provider Ka Puta Ka Ora Emerge Aotearoa to take over managing the council’s pensioner housing.

This followed consultation for the 2024-34 Long-term Plan and a subsequent decision by elected members to look at options for a different operating model to improve and ensure the financial sustainability of our pensioner housing, provide access to social support for tenants and potentially, in future, enable expansion of the portfolio to cater for growing demand.

Emerge Aotearoa will take care of day-to-day management tasks including tenant sign-ups, rent collection on the council’s behalf, inspections and maintenance management.

They will also foster tenant relationships and connect individuals to the necessary services.

The transition to the new arrangement is currently underway, including engagement with tenants to understand their needs, and undertaking outstanding maintenance and works required to ensure all units are up to Healthy Homes Standards before handing them over to Emerge Aotearoa to manage.

Read more about the new partnership here: Positive changes for Council’s pensioner housing - Rotorua Lakes Council

Frequently asked questions

Why is Council transferring management of its pensioner housing to a community housing provider?

The changes are aimed at improving council-provided pensioner housing in Rotorua, ensuring the portfolio is financially sustainable and tenants can receive support services the council cannot provide.

The changes will also provide the potential for opportunities to expand the amount of pensioner housing we provide in future, to meet growing demand.

Rotorua Lakes Council has for a number of years been looking at how to best support and manage its pensioner housing to ensure it continues to meet the needs of residents now and into the future.

As part of this work, we asked the community for feedback through the 2024-2034 Long-Term Plan process. Many people told us they wanted to see even better services and outcomes for tenants.

A majority supported the idea of partnering with a Community Housing Provider (CHP), who could bring specialist experience and provide dedicated support for older people.

This feedback has helped guide elected members' decision-making as we work to ensure safe, comfortable, and well-supported homes for our older community members.

Timeline of decisions and transition to Emerge Aotearoa

• July 2025: Council decision to enter into property services agreement with Emerge Aotearoa to manage council pensioner housing units and tenancies.
• Late August 2025: Letter delivered to tenants notifying them of the new partnership.
• Early September: Drop-in sessions for tenants, hosted by Emerge Aotearoa and the council.
• September/October 2025: Individual meetings for tenants, hosted by Emerge Aotearoa.
• October 2025: Outstanding maintenance and works required to ensure all units are up to Healthy Homes Standards before handing them over to Emerge Aotearoa to manage gets underway. Work includes heat pump installations.
• Week of 10 November 2025: Tenants to be formally notified of new rents that will take effect from 1 March 2026.
• 20 November 2025: Additional drop-in sessions for tenants, hosted by Emerge Aotearoa.
• November 2025: Council to sign agreement with Emerge Aotearoa and management of pensioner housing transferred to Emerge Aotearoa as work in units is completed.
• March 2026: New rents come into effect (all tenancy agreements to be signed by 1 March 2025).

What other options were considered through review process?

Options considered as part of this process:

• No change – retain the current arrangements and funding of the pensioner housing units
• Establish a community housing provider entity – establish a new entity which would operate separately to Council to own and operate the pensioner housing and may be able to attract funding not available to Council.
• Contract a third party to manage the pensioner housing.
• Partner with a community housing provider

Why was partnering with a community housing provider considered the best option?

A community housing provider has experience managing a range of residential tenancies including being able to provide additional support and services to tenants that the council can't provide.

Who is Ka Puta Ka Ora Emerge Aotearoa?

Ka Puta Ka Ora Emerge Aotearoa is a charitable organisation that delivers a broad range of health, housing, social and wellbeing services. The tāngata whaiora and whānau it serves are from diverse communities, all parts of the country and all walks of life.

Services

Emerge Aotearoa provides a broad range of support services to meet the diverse health and wellbeing needs of the communities we serve, including mental health, addiction, disability, employment, offender rehabilitation and wellbeing options.

Homes

Emerge Aotearoa provides and operates a broad range of housing options for the communities it serves, from emergency and transitional housing to more stable social and affordable homes.

More information about can be found here Emerge Aotearoa - Social Housing NZ

What will the change mean for current tenancy agreements?

The only change to tenancy agreements will be that tenants will need to sign a new tenancy agreement with Emerge Aotearoa. The tenancy managers from Emerge Aotearoa are working with tenants individually to arrange this.

Will rents increase?

From 1 March 2026, Council will be moving rents to market rates. For many tenants, this change will mean you can receive government assistance to help cover the increase.

Some tenants, such as those in paid work or with significant assets, may not be eligible for the full level of support.

Emerge Aotearoa will work closely with each tenant to make sure they access any benefits they are entitled to.

What benefits or subsidies will tenants be entitled to from MSD?

The entitlements for each individual will be different as they will be related to their individual circumstances.

Emerge Aotearoa will work with MSD alongside tenants to understand what their entitlements are.

Council has also committed to providing a ‘top-up’ for a period of two years for tenants who are solely dependent on superannuation to make sure they will be no worse off financially. Details about how this will be administered are being worked out.

Why are rents going up to market rates?

This will help to ensure the financial sustainability of Council’s pensioner housing.

Rents have been well below market rates and have not covered the full cost of managing and maintaining the pensioner housing. This has meant ratepayers have had to cover the shortfall through rates and with costs to maintain the portfolio continuing to increase, this is not sustainable.

When the rents move to market levels tenants will be able to access any government subsidies to which they may be eligible.

Council has also committed to ensuring current tenants who rely solely on superannuation are no worse off financially for the next two years. The details about how this will be administered are being worked out.

Will the pensioner housing units be redeveloped?

As part of the partnership with Emerge Aotearoa, Council is looking at opportunities to improve and upgrade pensioner housing over time, to better meet the needs of tenants now and in the future.

While planning is still in the early stages, it’s likely that the Lucas Place complex will be one of the first areas considered for redevelopment. This is because there are more vacant units there, which creates an opportunity to begin work with minimal disruption to current tenants.

The goal is to provide healthy, modern homes that are comfortable, safe and meet today’s housing standards while supporting tenants every step of the way through any future changes.

What happens to people applying for a pensioner housing unit who are currently on the wait list?

Emerge Aotearoa is contacting everyone on the wait list to answer any questions they may have and ensure housing solutions can be found at the earliest possible opportunity.

Are there opportunities to discuss the change in more detail with Council and Emerge Aotearoa?

We recognise that change can be daunting and a number of drop-in sessions have been held (during September 2025) to give tenants an opportunity to speak to the team from Council and Emerge Aotearoa to discuss the changes and any concerns they had.

Further engagement with individual tenants is ongoing to understand individual needs and concerns.

What about currently empty pensioner units? What’s the plan to have these occupied?

There are currently 46 empty units. Most of these require complete refurbishment before they can be occupied and refurbishments will happen as budgets allow and will need to align with any long-term redevelopment plans as part of our partnership with Emerge Aotearoa.

Currently vacant units will be tenanted by Emerge Aotearoa as soon as possible after they become available.

The priority right now is to get occupied units up to standard so they can be handed over to Emerge Aotearoa to manage.