National MP Todd McClay calls public meeting to address Rotorua's homeless issue

National MP Todd McClay is holding a public meeting to address Rotorua's homelessness problem. Photo / File

Families too nervous to let their children walk to school because of neighbouring issues with crime and loitering has provoked a public meeting by Rotorua's National MP.

Todd McClay hopes it will give residents the opportunity to voice their concerns over homelessness, social disorder and crime.

It comes after a petition calling for urgent council action on city safety and homelessness garnered more than 1000 signatures in less than a week last month.

McClay said residents of Glenholme, Fenton Park and the CBD were becoming increasingly agitated with people using Fenton St and surrounding areas to deal with Rotorua's housing shortage.

"The calls and emails to my office continue to grow and there seems to be a lot of antisocial behaviour, certainly a lot of nuisance, and the frustration could boil over, which is why we have decided to call a meeting.

"There are examples of people selling their home to move somewhere else, they feel so under siege. This is an opportunity in a public forum, for them to constructively talk about what's going on."

McClay said this was the first public meeting about the issue that he was aware of.

"From that, we will look at how we engage others from government agencies to talk to the community directly."

McClay's solution to the problem was straightforward, he believed: no longer use motels for social housing.

"This isn't about the people in those motels, it's about the role the government is playing - although everybody must take personal responsibility for their antisocial behaviour."

Tammy-Lee Holmes and her husband booked a babysitter for Monday night as soon as they heard about the meeting.

The couple bought their house on Lytton St, parallel to Fenton St, about a year ago. They did so under the impression it was a safe neighbourhood but now they won't even let their children walk to school.

"Increasingly over the year, the activity in the area included loitering, stray toddlers, fights, gang activity, stray animals," she said.

"We moved here so our kids could walk to school but that's just an absolute no-go at the moment. We've got quite a few elderly and vulnerable people in the area as well."

Holmes has since become the local neighbourhood watch contact and hoped Monday's meeting would help ensure residents' voices were heard.

"Particularly in the last two months, we've had a considerable number of vehicle break-ins, break-ins to homes and sheds as well. This used to be a pretty nice area to live in.

"A lot of people in the area are increasing their security as well. We really think good on Todd for calling a public meeting, it's definitely long overdue.

"I think it's a bringing together of our community to discuss the issues and maybe an understanding of what, at a local government or government level, they are considering or looking at doing.

"Really, I suppose, it's just a chance for these people to be able to have a say and be heard."

• The meeting will be at the Arawa Bowling Club on Monday at 5.30pm.