Letters to the editor: Housing Māori homeless at marae a 'no-brainer'

A reader says the idea of housing Māori homeless on marae is fantastic. Photo / Richard Robinson

Re: the column by Merepeka Ruakawa Tait of July 28.

What a fantastic idea to house the 90 per cent Māori homeless at the Marae as Raukawa-Tait mentions in her article.

This to me is a no-brainer.

The vulnerable be cared for, and the elders can help and teach the culture, and so much more, to the younger generations - and also be looked after themselves.

Good on you, Merepeka, please start the wheels in motion.

Wendy Fraser
Te Arawa Iwi, Whakarewarewa

Ghost homes sit empty

Mike Bryant, from the Ministry of Social Development, says the housing crisis is a worldwide problem, not unique to Rotorua (News, July 29).

The New Zealand Herald has published an article which says there are 40,000 ghost houses in Auckland.

That's right - 40,000. Multiply that by other cities in New Zealand and the number is staggering.

A ghost house is an empty house where the owner parks up their spare cash.

No need to rent it out to a tenant who might spoil the carpet.

Merely sitting on it and watching the capital gains makes it so much more profitable than non-existent interest in the bank.

The taxpayer keeps the homeless in motels, while those who can afford to, keep vacant homes.

Lesley Haddon
Rotorua

Private landlords not needed

The situation in the property rental business is now critical, rents in Auckland have reached $900 a week and, in Rotorua, you are lucky if you find a rent under $500, this is getting beyond a joke and the government is running around in circles completely ignoring the only two ways to cure the problem.

Building more houses is not the cure, even if it was possible.

There are more than 200,000 empty houses in the country.

Compulsory purchase is the only solution along with a clampdown on using houses as commodities.

We do not need private landlords.

Jim Adams
Rotorua