There are concerns cramped conditions in emergency housing could harm children's development. Photo / File
A lack of safe spaces for children to play in Rotorua motels used for emergency housing has some worried children's development and wellbeing will suffer long term.
This follows long-held concerns that kids living in motels - potentially spending weeks in "cramped" conditions - are being exposed to "distressing" situations, with families living alongside gang members.
Official documents show ministers were warned about the "risks to public safety" in Rotorua a year ago, and that week-by-week motel accommodation is not so suitable for families, or those with high needs, Radio New Zealand revealed yesterday.
However, the Ministry of Social Development says its options of places to put families are limited with their priority being to put a roof over vulnerable heads.
Ministry figures released to NZME earlier this year showed the number of children in emergency housing in Rotorua jumped from at least 227 in June to at least 246 in September. The numbers could be higher as the ministry's counting method was not exact.
Tiny Deane, whose Visions of a Helping Hand Charitable Trust is involved in emergency housing in Rotorua, said motels were "certainly not the best place for kids".
"Life's hard in the motel."
He said it was better if there was a playground on site or proactive caregivers who took their children out.
Deane said an area was cordoned off within the motel property to create a "safety zone" for kids to play, ride supplied bikes and scooters, and play hopscotch or games.
"That's the only place they can do that safely ... we are limited [in space], it's not that big, but it's something that is safe."
He said parents were told kids should also be taken to a park.
The trust had a sponsored after-school programme to take kids out "now and then", to the movies, jet-skiing at the lakes or to barbecues.
Deane said the trust's main focus was to get families into long-term accommodation.
Whānau Ora North Island agency commissioning chairwoman and Rotorua councillor Merepeka Raukawa-Tait said what was designed to be short-term housing was stretching into months.
"We tend to think the needs of adults and children are the same. They are not.
"Children just can't take a short break from cramped living conditions and go for a walk and motels are not set up with adequate playing and recreation spaces for the number of children currently being housed," she said.
She said kids needed safe places to play and spend time outside, in view and watched by adults at all times.
Kids living in motels did not usually know other children in the complex and parents were reluctant to have their children out of their sight, "for good reason", she said.
Raukawa-Tait said the best option for families stuck in motels was to plan regular outings to parks and other open spaces.
"Better still is to move the families into permanent housing as soon as possible. Not only for the children's physical well-being but for their mental health as well."
Early childhood expert Lesley Lyons McAdam said there could be long-lasting effects on children confined to limited or unsafe outdoor space for extended periods of time.
McAdam is a former senior lecturer in early childhood education at the University of Auckland, a doctoral graduate of the University of Waikato, and a member of the Western Bay of Plenty Child Poverty Action Group.
Childhood was a crucial time of development, she said, and the lack of space sacrificed a child's developmental, social, cognitive, and educational growth.
"Without space to play and socialise children are less likely to learn to regulate their behaviour which can generate long-term problems such as aggression."
She said nowhere to play led to heightened levels of frustration and stress. Research had shown this was linked to depleting mental and physical wellbeing.
Children then developed an inability to recognise their own potential, attempt challenges, problem solve, be confident in new situations and build quality relationships, she said.
"Such children are more likely to grow into adults who view themselves as victims of society, as people who cannot make change but rather are prey to it."
A Salvation Army spokeswoman said parents in the region were worried about their child's wellbeing and wanted "a safer environment" for kids sometimes exposed to "distressing" situations with other residents in motels.
The organisation was considering how it could better support families with children in emergency housing and had "long been calling for increased investment in social housing so people can be placed in stable, long-term accommodation".
The Salvation Army leases homes in Tauranga and Rotorua for transitional housing and space for children to play was "often limited".
The organisation's Rotorua Corps officer Lieutenant Kylie Overbye said it wanted to see careful consideration of where families were placed for emergency accommodation.
She appreciated the current housing challenges and the time needed for longer-term solutions, but said more thought into placements for families with children could ease some of the stress and worry around safety and vulnerability.
Rotorua Budget Advisory Services manager Pakanui Tuhura said Rotorua had public playgrounds in walking distance of most inner-city motels.
He said it was more a matter of whether the caregiver had time to supervise the child away from the accommodation, and if the play area was safe.
Ministry of Social Development regional director Kim Going said the ministry's most urgent priority was finding somewhere for families to stay and they were limited by the location and features of motels.
"We want to find an immediate option that provides a roof quickly, given families facing homelessness are in a vulnerable position."
She said when families said they don't feel safe, the agency works with them to find alternatives where possible.
A flexible funding package specifically set up for whānau with children in emergency housing started in November under the Homelessness Action Plan.
The fund could cover additional or increased costs for immediate needs that were due to staying in emergency housing, especially related to keeping kids in education, early childhood education, or to address wellbeing needs.
A Kāinga Ora homes and communities spokesman said the organisation's larger developments typically included shared spaces.
This was to allow residents to connect with each other and encourage wellbeing, he said.
This could include multi-functional community rooms with kitchens and open-plan gathering spaces and common green spaces with children's playgrounds.
Decisions around amenities also took into account existing nearby facilities, he said.
Police have said he was evading arrest, but a family member disputed that.