Fighting for Rotorua: Dr Megan Woods: We're building as many state homes as quickly as we can

Minister for Housing and Urban Development Dr Megan Woods. Photo / NZME

OPINION

Let's tell it like it is

Rotorua is extraordinary, it's unique.

It is literally steaming with history.

We shouldn't do it the disservice of only seeing it through one lens. But, it has a problem. It has a chronic shortage of housing.

How did we get here?

Since 2013 there's been a dire mismatch between population growth and new housing. When you have a population surge of 9000 people, while only issuing 1500 consents, something's got to give.

When we came into office in 2017, Rotorua had 42 fewer state houses than when we left government in 2008.

They were sold off under the National Government and no new houses were added despite the surge.

This shortfall drove up rents and house prices and led to an increasing number of people living in emergency housing.

We have always said that motels are not a long-term solution, but rather an immediate response to a crisis.

But now is not the time to blame previous governments that failed to act.

Far better to pour resources into the city, both in terms of investment and fresh thinking.

This is what's being done

Our focus is on building as many state homes as quickly as we can.

Since 2017, the Government has added more than 10,600 public homes, of which 230 are in Rotorua. We have also added 117 transitional homes here.

What's more, right now, right across the city, about 300 public homes are under construction or in the pipeline. Now that's exciting.

We're also investing in the future with nearly $120 million going into stormwater improvements to unlock housing development capacity for 4000 additional homes.

Plus we want to future-proof the city and its environment. You can't ignore or repeal climate change. You have to build better, smarter, stronger.

We can learn much from the past

The ''Dr'' part of my name comes from a PHD study of Māori urbanisation during and after World War II.

Following the war, then-Prime Minister Peter Fraser and his Labour government saw a problem in a massive housing shortage, but they also saw an opportunity to train a generation with skilled trades and to rapidly build the houses that were so badly needed.

As part of this research, I spoke with many men who came to Christchurch in the 1950s and 1960s to learn their trade and are still there today. They taught me that housing is more than buildings, it's about skills, jobs, wellbeing and place.

Once again, this Government knows the world is changing, and that we need fresh approaches to move forward, to adapt, and to be even stronger.

In housing, we know each community has its own urban development challenges and opportunities, so we are shifting away from a one-size-fits-all model and thinking more fundamentally about how our communities interact and develop, by taking a deliberate, place-based approach.

This requires implementing local solutions, not centrally driven agendas. In short, we are ''place-making''.

We currently have 10 active partnerships across Aotearoa. Our partnership in Rotorua, where the housing crisis has had a significant impact on Māori, was established in 2020, to align the housing responses of iwi (Te Arawa), central and local governments and community partners. Together we are working on a joint housing action plan.

The good news

If we look at Hastings, the pilot for our place-based partnerships, there are useful lessons about what happens when we get the right people around the table, backed by the political support to make things happen.

In 2017, Hastings had a net loss of 192 state homes, also as a result of National's sell-off. Hastings too was experiencing rapid population growth that outstripped building consents, while there was little new, affordable or public housing and limited council engagement in housing and infrastructure investment.

Motel use for homelessness was high, and iwi had high levels of housing need.

Happily, the council was willing to explore a new way of working so in December 2019, Hastings was chosen to trial the new place-based partnership between the Government, Hastings District Council, Ngāti Kahungunu and other local partners.

As of September 2022, it has delivered, compared to October 2017:

• A net increase of 175 public homes

• 147 additional transitional housing places

• 44 affordable rental papakāinga, plus infrastructure for a further 14 homes

• Repairs to 40 homes on whenua Māori

• A homelessness hub

• Infrastructure to enable 150 affordable homes.

This is what delivery looks like. Our results are tangible as is the difference we make to people's lives.

This place

We're not there yet, but it's my strong belief that when you love the place you're from, when you have a stake in the game, and when you do something about it together, change happens. We are already on that journey. We will get there.

Dr Megan Woods is the Minister for Housing and Urban Development.