Restore Rotorua representatives at the resource consent hearing (from left) Gary Smith, Carolyne Hall, Trevor Newbrook and lawyer Vanessa Hamm. Photo / Andrew Warner
Restore Rotorua representatives at the resource consent hearing (from left) Gary Smith, Carolyne Hall, Trevor Newbrook and lawyer Vanessa Hamm. Photo / Andrew Warner
Rotorua has at least 59 emergency housing motels. Thirteen of them are directly contracted by the Government - something they want to do for another five years. Reporter Kelly Makiha details the pros and cons of the plan revealed during a recent resource consent hearing.
As one submitter put it: "You have a decision that is actually about life and death of a city."
For seven days, chairman David Hill and fellow independent commissioners Sheena Tepania and Greg Hill sat and listened to the voices of people from Rotorua as part of the hearing into the future of 13 motels used for contracted emergency housing.
Some cried, others raised voices and many sat nervously and read from pieces of paper as they tried to express what emergency housing had done to them, their businesses and their feelings towards the city they call home.
One called it a "failed Government experiment" while another put it bluntly, describing it as a "bloody fiasco".
Mothers spoke about how they had lost the freedom to allow their children to walk or bike to school, with one saying there were "too many weirdos" on the streets now.
Former residents wept as they told commissioners their victimisation from unruly homeless had become so bad, they had sold their forever homes and left Rotorua.
The devastating consequences of emergency housing for the Seventh-day Adventist School were revealed for the first time at the resource consent hearing. Photo / Andrew Warner
One of those affected was the man behind a lobby group at the heart of this issue, Restore Rotorua chairman Trevor Newbrook.
His voice cracked as he told commissioners his own daughter had felt compelled to move from Rotorua to Nelson with his grandchildren because they no longer felt safe.
Submitters told commissioners why they had invested thousands into Restore Rotorua's legal fees: all to ensure they had a voice on this important issue.
The public hearing was held after Restore Rotorua called for the application process to be publicly notified. The lobby group was formed after it was discovered another motel, the former Boulevard Motel on Fenton, was earlier granted resource consent to operate transitional housing for the homeless without the public's knowledge.
On the flipside of the residents' heartfelt pleas was expert evidence from lawyers, planners and social impact consultants for the Rotorua Lakes Council and the resource consent applicants, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.
Commissioner Greg Hill. Photo / Andrew Warner
The ministry outlined there could be no way of knowing if the behaviour that contributed to the adverse effects the residents were experiencing were from those in contracted emergency housing.
The ministry's expert evidence showed Rotorua's housing shortages were such that emergency housing was inevitable for at least another five years and it was better there were contracted emergency housing motels that offered support and were monitored.
It said if the commissioners declined the applications, housing deprivation and its consequences would not go away and instead people would be pushed back into non-contracted motels.
Ministry lawyer Nick Whittington said despite the feeling of many verbal submitters, the Government had not purposely brought in out-of-towners for emergency housing in Rotorua.
He said, however, it was a human right for anyone to choose to move wherever they wanted.
Rotorua Lakes Council consultant planner Craig Batchelar said in his "overview response" report, presented at the end of the hearing, that evidence on emergency housing in Rotorua indicated a recent "strong declining trend" in the number of people being placed in motels and a reduction in the number of motels being used.
Commissioner Sheena Tepania. Photo / Andrew Warner
Evidence was that the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) had recognised the adverse effects of emergency housing (EH) in Rotorua and was working with the council in managing a reduction, Batchelar's report said.
"Attention is being paid to limiting placement of people living outside Rotorua in EH in Rotorua and to limiting the placement of people in 'mixed [tourist accommodation and] EH' given its unsuitability and reputation effects on tourism. This is implemented through 'guidance' or 'strong guidance' by MSD staff," Batchelar's report said.
The council submitted it only agreed to allow the ministry's applications to be granted on several conditions.
These included triaging the right people into contracted emergency housing and ensuring most were families with children, reducing the risk of crowding, ensuring there were spaces for children to play, improving the landscaping and maintenance of the motels, enhancing streetscape amenities, banning dogs, having a managed exit of contracted emergency housing sites and setting up better communication such as an 0800 number people could ring if they wanted to report issues.
Commission chairman David Hill. Photo / Andrew Warner
So where to now? Commission chairman David Hill said they had a lot of views to carefully consider and, while careful not to give a definitive date, said he hoped they could release their decision before Christmas.
He did warn, however, given the strong views any decision was likely to be appealed which, while a legal entitlement, would only "prolong the agony" for those involved.
There are two types of emergency housing motels - ones that are contracted by the Government and ones that are used by people who urgently need somewhere to stay.
Both forms of emergency housing in motels are not permitted under Rotorua's District Plan as all motels are only consented for short-term visitor accommodation.
Despite this, they have been allowed to operate.
Contracted emergency housing comes under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. It was designed for families, the elderly and the homeless with disabilities to offer a controlled and better-managed style of emergency housing.
It came about after the Government announced a $30 million shake-up of emergency housing in 2021 - part of which involved the establishment of a housing hub, Te Pokapū, on Fenton St.
The contracted emergency housing motels are managed by social support agencies Visions of a Helping Hand, Wera Aotearoa or Emerge Aotearoa. These agencies also offer wraparound social services.
There are at least 59 other motels that are operating as either emergency housing motels or mixed-used emergency housing and tourist motels.
These motels are paid for through emergency housing grants by the Ministry of Social Development for those who need an urgent roof over their heads.
