NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Rotorua to get 117 more state houses

By Alice Guy
Rotorua Daily Post·
26 Apr, 2017 03:40 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Plans have been revealed for 117 more social and transitional houses to be set up in Rotorua over the next three years - a mix of new builds and newly acquired rental properties.

The plan was announced by Associate Housing Minister Alfred Ngaro, who visited Rotorua today to inspect some of the already completed transitional houses with local MP Todd McClay.

"We're aiming to have 37 transitional houses available by the end of the year and 80 new social housing properties over the next three years," Mr Ngaro said.

"This is a statement of intent that we take the issue of housing in Rotorua seriously and that we have a plan to address the need. We are working hard to address the current and future demands on social housing."

Mr McClay said the 80 social housing properties would include 40 one-bedroom, 30 two-bedroom and 10 three-bedroom homes, a 13 per cent increase on the 647 social houses currently in Rotorua.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Salvation Army corps officer Ralph Overby, Associate Social Housing Minister Alfred Ngaro, MP Todd McClay and Salvation Army corps officer Kylie Overby discussing state houses. Photo/Ben Fraser
Salvation Army corps officer Ralph Overby, Associate Social Housing Minister Alfred Ngaro, MP Todd McClay and Salvation Army corps officer Kylie Overby discussing state houses. Photo/Ben Fraser

"There are challenges around property availability here in Rotorua because the economy and population is growing very quickly," he said.

"The reason we have pressure on the roads and on housing is because people are choosing to stay, come home and move home. The solution is to build houses and the Government are showing today that we want to be part of that."

Mr McClay said he would work with Rotorua Lakes Council on section availability and consent times to get the new homes built as quickly as possible.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The Ministry of Social Development said it was actively encouraging private social housing providers to help the Government deliver the new properties within three years.

"The squeeze is that people are coming here, buying the rental property and using them to live in themselves," Mr McClay said.

Rotorua Salvation Army corps officer Kylie Overby stands in one of the new transitional houses. Photo/Ben Fraser
Rotorua Salvation Army corps officer Kylie Overby stands in one of the new transitional houses. Photo/Ben Fraser

"Government has a role to play, but if we are short of houses in Rotorua the solution is the private sector building them."

The 37 new transitional houses will incorporate community service providers.

"In the Rotorua area we have great community providers that are working really hard and the services that are being offered are making a difference. The solutions are not just with Government, and other providers working together is always a much better fit," Mr Ngaro said.

Salvation Army corps officers Ralph and Kylie Overby and manager for community ministries Shelly Fischer said they were excited to work with the Government on the transitional homes.

"We currently have four transitional homes, we want to get up to eight," Mr Overby said.

Mrs Fischer said they were looking for people ready to make a change in their lives.

"These houses are for people that are going through a bump in the road and are needing to have some support to make those changes."

Mrs Overby said the key word was transitional.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It's a bit of breathing space to give people the room they need to move forward," she said.

"Our social workers will get on board with the clients straight away, and they visit them at least twice a week so they have a care plan in place to help them resolve the things they need."

Rotorua Salvation Army corps officer Kylie Overby stands in one of the new transitional houses. Photo/Ben Fraser
Rotorua Salvation Army corps officer Kylie Overby stands in one of the new transitional houses. Photo/Ben Fraser

Mr Ngaro said one of the challenges to date had been communication between ministry sectors.

"It's all about how we share information. That background is important for sustainable placement, so we can get the right place and the right fit for each family."

Ministry of Social Development national team lead for emergency housing Nigel Philpott said the new houses would cover the issues in Rotorua.

"From a Ministry of Social Development perspective, they've got a waiting list and from analysing that it is a sufficient number," he said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"If we did need more then we've got the ability to bring on more."

Mr Philpott said service providers beyond the Salvation Army would be brought on board.

"Obviously the Salvation Army are on the ground, but other people will be coming in to help."

Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick could not be reached for comment.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

Celebrating Waikato farmer Gordon Stephenson’s legacy

07 Jun 05:01 PM
Premium
Talanoa

Sol3 Mio opera star on his glamorous marriage - and physical transformation

07 Jun 05:00 PM
New Zealand

Thousands of school meals uneaten in Northland

07 Jun 05:00 PM

Why Cambridge is the new home of future-focused design

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
Celebrating Waikato farmer Gordon Stephenson’s legacy
The Country

Celebrating Waikato farmer Gordon Stephenson’s legacy

07 Jun 05:01 PM
New Zealand's 'remarkable' pigs in 1928
The Country

New Zealand's 'remarkable' pigs in 1928

07 Jun 05:00 PM
Thousands of school meals uneaten in Northland
Northland Age

Thousands of school meals uneaten in Northland

07 Jun 05:00 PM
Opinion: Why NZ should ditch yachts and chase cheese
Opinion

Opinion: Why NZ should ditch yachts and chase cheese

07 Jun 05:00 PM
'All I remember is white': Injured driver describes harrowing head-on tourist campervan crash
New Zealand

'All I remember is white': Injured driver describes harrowing head-on tourist campervan crash

07 Jun 05:00 PM

Latest from New Zealand

Celebrating Waikato farmer Gordon Stephenson’s legacy

Celebrating Waikato farmer Gordon Stephenson’s legacy

07 Jun 05:01 PM

“He believed deeply that you should leave the land in a better state than you found it."

Premium
Sol3 Mio opera star on his glamorous marriage - and physical transformation

Sol3 Mio opera star on his glamorous marriage - and physical transformation

07 Jun 05:00 PM
Thousands of school meals uneaten in Northland

Thousands of school meals uneaten in Northland

07 Jun 05:00 PM
Migrant bus drivers 'fearful' to report violent attacks

Migrant bus drivers 'fearful' to report violent attacks

07 Jun 05:00 PM
Clean water fuelling Pacific futures
sponsored

Clean water fuelling Pacific futures

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search