Letters: Issues driving homelessness need to be addressed

Homeless in Kuirau Park. Photo / Stephen Parker

Saturday's article about the homeless was an amazing piece of journalism.

It balanced both aspects at issue - the concern of the business community, locals and tourists and their fears on coming across groups of homeless around town and the deeply personal issues that brought the community of homeless together and which bind them.

It is clear the homeless community are vulnerable people who have had personal tragedy and rejection yet have found acceptance, camaraderie and support by bonding together and these needs are far stronger than the need for four walls.

This insight gives Rotorua a huge opportunity to do things differently and help these people turn their lives around.

The issues that drive people to become homeless and addicted need to be addressed. Funds should be spent making a 200-bed centre of hope with addiction-treatment and life-skill programmes including work readiness, parenting, budgeting, and mentoring, giving guaranteed six-month accommodation in small 10-unit wings with communal kitchens/shared gardens.

Drug enforcement and daily drug testing would need to be mandatory. Local businesses could provide volunteer mentors, short- and long-term work experience placements and designated work-place buddy initiatives.

This should be a top priority.

Let's make Rotorua's reaction to the homeless deep and meaningful.

(Abridged)
W Ward
Rotorua

No easy remedy to pollution

After several years I recently had a swim at the Blue Lake and was disturbed to notice that the once pristine water now has a very slight greenish tinge.
Surely it is time to remove the power boats from the lake, and take measures such as simple silt traps for the run-off from the road, car parks and picnic areas.
This lovely little lake is a closed system, any pollution now will take hundreds of years to remedy.

Pam Lyons-Montgomery, Ngakuru

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