Housing mahi update

Mayor Steve Chadwick says the value of collaborating on housing is becoming more visible with progress being made on work to improve emergency and social housing provision in Rotorua.

A taskforce with representatives from Rotorua Lakes Council, Central Government and Te Arawa has been focussed on changing the way emergency housing is managed in Rotorua and progressing the provision of more social housing in the district.

“We advocated very strongly for Rotorua specific solutions and for Government to work with us on that,” Mayor Chadwick says.

“We have been adamant that whānau living in motels is untenable and can not be a long-term solution to our housing challenges.

“A cross-agency approach and partnerships, working towards shared outcomes, is the only way we will get the solutions our community needs and the taskforce and the work it has been progressing is a great start.”

The Mayor says progress announced on the work of the taskforce is “great news”

“It’s small steps but very heartening – we’re seeing the value of working collaboratively together to find solutions for our community.”

In May Housing Minister Megan Woods and Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced (see HERE) a suite of changes to emergency housing provision in Rotorua including:

• Government to directly contract motels for emergency accommodation
• Wrap around social support services for those in emergency accommodation to be provided
• Grouping of cohorts like families and tamariki in particular motels separate from other groups
• One-stop Housing Hub for access to services and support to be established

Minister Woods has now provided an update on progress towards improving emergency housing in Rotorua (see below), including provision of wrap-around support and the establishment of a housing hub.

Recently Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities, provided an update on progress it is making regarding the purchase of land to build more social housing in Rotorua (see more about this HERE).

“Council and the housing taskforce are working very hard on many fronts on solutions to our housing challenges,” Mayor Chadwick says.

“We have work underway on numerous parts of the district housing plan, we now have a plan being implemented for better management of emergency housing, and progress towards more much-needed public housing is obviously great news.”

Update from Housing Minister Megan Woods

“I’m pleased to be able to report that we’ve made good progress on improving emergency housing in Rotorua. From tomorrow 12 motels will be ready to accommodate 200 families with full wrap-around support in 260 units, meaning that our plan to improve family emergency accommodation in Rotorua is on track.

These 12 motels will provide emergency accommodation for whanau and tamariki, separate from other groups, and they will be able to stay in these motels while they’re looking for longer- term homes.

The motels we’ve contracted have been chosen because they allow us to best provide for longer term whanau needs. This includes outdoor spaces for tamariki, and appropriate laundry and kitchen facilities. Around 80 families are already in these motels. The remainder will be moving in from other motels over the next couple of weeks, starting with around 21 whānau by 9 July , a further 30 whānau in by 16 July and the remaining families in by mid-July.

Good progress has also been made by iwi, social service providers and officials to provide wrap-around support for whānau with children in emergency housing. Rotorua-based social service providers (WERA Aotearoa, Lifewise, Visions of a Helping Hand and Emerge Aotearoa) have been contracted to manage the family accommodation, supporting the families living there to create environments where they can thrive and help them find pathways to more permanent accommodation.

The providers are working in partnership with Te Taumata o Ngāti Whakaue to collectively respond and support whānau into housing through a housing hub - Te Pokapū – supported by MSD and other agencies. These groups will work together to assess, place and support people in emergency housing, based on a kaupapa Māori approach, offering support to anyone needing stable housing in Rotorua. In the next couple of months, Te Pokapū will be located in a physical hub in central Rotorua.

These measures will also ensure there’s specific, separate, accommodation catering to the needs of visitors and tourists to Rotorua.

The Taskforce has worked closely with iwi, local service providers and the Rotorua Lakes District Council, on implementing this suite of changes, announced in May, and I want to acknowledge the commitment of Rotorua Council, including the leadership of Mayor Chadwick.”

May 2021 announcement by Housing Minister Megan Woods and Social Development Minister, Carmel Sepuloni – see media release below:

The Government has announced a suite of changes to emergency housing provision in Rotorua:

• Government to directly contract motels for emergency accommodation
• Wrap around social support services for those in emergency accommodation to be provided
• Grouping of cohorts like families and tamariki in particular motels separate from other groups
• One-stop Housing Hub for access to services and support to be established

The Government will directly contract motels in Rotorua to deliver emergency housing, making it easier for wrap-around support services to be delivered to whanau and tamariki living in motels.

A taskforce from central government has been working with the Rotorua Lakes Council and Te Arawa iwi to provide better support and outcomes for people living in emergency housing motels and the community.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is taking over responsibility for contracting motels used for emergency housing, and ending the practice of mixed use motels.

“These moves will ensure whanau and tamariki are placed in accommodation with facilities better suited to their needs with support to keep them safe and well, and provide a pathway to more permanent housing,” Housing Minister Megan Woods said.

“These actions also help bring certainty to the Rotorua accommodation sector by having motels used exclusively for emergency housing, and help ensure there is separate suitable accommodation facilities for domestic and international visitors.

“Central government agencies have worked with council, iwi and NGOs to find solutions and we are investigating how this approach could support better outcomes in other areas with high levels of emergency housing.

“We do not see motels as a long-term answer for housing, but we need to deal with the immediate crisis we inherited while we build the medium to long term solutions by increasing housing supply,” Megan Woods said.

HUD and Kāinga Ora are assessing which of the current motels being used for emergency housing in Rotorua have facilities suitable for emergency housing for whanau and tamariki. HUD is talking with suitable motels this week about contracts for emergency housing.

Rotorua Lakes Council will help ensure any applications for changes to consents to permit longer term stays in motels are processed efficiently. It will take several weeks to assess and engage all motels.

The Ministry of Social Development and HUD are working with Te Arawa and service providers to establish a Housing Hub, including contracting for wrap around support services for whanau and tamariki in motels. The Hub will be up and running in the coming months.

“Once established the Housing Hub will be community led, and will provide a place where people needing emergency housing can also have their holistic care needs assessed and addressed, with placements triaged into appropriate accommodation,” Social Development Minister, Carmel Sepuloni said.

“Emergency housing is meant to be temporary solution for people who are unable to find accommodation but because of the housing shortage we inherited, some people are staying in motels longer. We are committed to supporting them and helping them find a long term, sustainable solution,” Carmel Sepuloni said.

More supply is critical to addressing housing in the long term and progress is being made. Kāinga Ora is working to deliver around 190 additional public houses in Rotorua by 2024 under the Public Housing Plan.

Kāinga Ora is also intensifying its efforts in Rotorua to identify opportunities for building new housing to provide more permanent homes.