The 13 motels subject to resource consent applications. Photo / Andrew Warner
The 13 motels subject to resource consent applications. Photo / Andrew Warner
Homelessness could get worse in Rotorua if a move to make 13 Rotorua emergency housing motels compliant with council rules does not go ahead, a hearing has been told.
Resource consent applications have been lodged by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to allow 13 contracted motels operating in Rotorua to continue lawfully under the District Plan.
A hearing of submissions on the applications started on Monday before three independent commissioners - chairman David Hill, commissioner Sheena Tepania and commissioner Greg Hill.
The hearing is being split over a three-week period and is being held at Arawa Park Hotel.
On Monday and yesterday, commissioners heard evidence from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and Rotorua Lakes Council economic and social impact experts.
Shamubeel Eaqub, an economic consultant for the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. Photo / Andrew Warner
The Government has contracted the motels for the past 15 months but all emergency housing motels - including more than 40 non-contracted motels, are operating outside of the District Plan because they are only consented for short-term visitor stays.
The resource consent applications aimed to remedy that situation. More than 3600 submissions were received - 80 per cent of which were opposed to the council granting resource consent.
The applications state there will be on-site support service providers and 24/7 security. The motels are managed by Visions of a Helping Hand, Wera Aotearoa or Emerge Aotearoa.
Ministry of Housing and Urban Development economic consultant Shamubeel Eaqub told the hearing yesterday that Rotorua has a housing crisis and if contracted motels were not used, housing deprivation and its consequences would not go away.
He said it would instead push those individuals back into non-contracted motels, some of which still offered accommodation to tourists, because the Ministry of Social Development would continue to issue vouchers for emergency housing to those who needed it.
He said if they did not go to non-contracted motels, they could end up sleeping rough or living on the streets.
He said emergency housing demand had increased because of a near decade-long failure to build enough affordable homes, particularly rentals, and public housing.
"Doing nothing will intensify housing deprivation. Contracted motels will attempt to mitigate the worst effects of housing deprivation and the effects of concentrating poverty."
He said the alternative would negatively impact Rotorua's reputation as more people would seek non-contracted motels.
"What's the alternative reality if this doesn't happen? ... The alternative is mixed use [tourists and homeless people living in the same motels] or homelessness on the streets," Eaqub told the hearing.
Jo Healy spoke to her submission as a social impact consultant for the ministry and said she suggested a number of changes if the consents were granted, including making fences and gates more permanent and removing the visible look of security guards and cones.
She suggested a 24/7 0800 number could be set up so neighbours could contact service operators and security on-site to raise concerns and lodge complaints.
Independent commissioner panel chairman David Hill. Photo / Andrew Warner
Independent commissioner Sheena Tepania. Photo / Andrew Warner
Independent commissioner panel chairman David Hill asked who would take those calls.
Commissioner Sheena Tepania said if locals were to be confident of getting a response, it perhaps should be something the council monitored.
Other changes Healy suggested included setting up a community forum to share information and allowing scheduled visits for visitors to contracted emergency housing.
Rebecca Foy, a social impact consultant for Rotorua Lakes Council, said she found the absence of any evidential data, particularly around crime, difficult when making her assessment.
She said while contracted motels could better manage those staying in their motels, it didn't control how they behaved when they weren't at the motels.
"No one wears a hat and says where they live."
She recommended not consenting all 13 motels and instead looking at a more dispersed approach to the contracted emergency housing motels to dilute the effects for locals.
The hearing continues today with more than 30 members from the lobby group Restore Rotorua speaking to their submissions. Each person has been given a 15-minute time slot.
Other submitters not linked to Restore Rotorua will be heard on Thursday and Friday. The hearing will reconvene on Monday, October 31, finishing on Tuesday, November 1.
Independent commissioner Greg Hill. Photo / Andrew Warner
