What’s been achieved:
Contracted motels for whānau with children
Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga – Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has contracted 13 suitable motels which now provide dedicated housing for whānau with children. These have facilities that meet whānau needs, such as safe sleeping space, laundry and kitchen facilities and outdoor spaces for tamariki.
Rotorua-based social service providers WERA Aotearoa, Visions of a Helping Hand and Emerge Aotearoa are managing this contracted accommodation and are supporting whānau to access the help and services they need.
Two-year resource consents granted
Resource consent was later sought by the 13 operators contracted by the Ministry for Housing and Urban Development (MHUD) to enable them to continue providing emergency housing for a further five years.
Hearings were held in October 2022 before a panel of independent commissioners. On 15 December 2022 the commissioners released their decisions, granting two-year consents to all 13 applicants, with conditions.
Community Liaison Group
A Community Liaison Group was required to be established for the duration of the resource consents held for contracted emergency housing at the 13 sites in Rotorua. The Terms of Reference for this group are available (PDF, 125KB) and meeting minutes as follows:
Te Pokapū
A community-led housing hub - Te Pokapū – is currently operating in Rotorua to holistically support and place people in need of housing, based on a kaupapa Māori approach. Led by Te Taumata o Ngāti Whakaue, supported by the Ministry of Social Development, it involves a collective of local providers and agencies working together.
For singles, couples and others not housed in the contracted whānau accommodation, the Ministry of Social Development is continuing to focus on enhanced support and suitable motel accommodation.
Rotorua Lakes Council is supporting this work by continuing to process consents for any moteliers that wish to provide emergency housing in Rotorua.
Looking to longer-term solutions, more supply of housing is critical. Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities is working hard to deliver more urgently needed warm, dry and healthy homes.
It has plans for 37 new permanent homes on most of the recently purchased 2 hectare vacant land on the corner of Ranolf Street and Malfroy Road, with these expected to be ready in 2022. It is exploring other development options for the rest of the site.