Permanent shelter near for 'up to 200 homeless'

FILE

Permanent accommodation for the city's homeless could be available within months, not years, the night shelter trust committee meeting heard this week.

Rotorua Community Night Shelter Trust committee chairman Barney Jewell told the meeting at the Rotorua District Council that progress was being made to provide a permanent facility for homeless people.

"I am conscious winter is on the way and we need to be in a position to offer permanent accommodation within two to three months," he said.

A night shelter co-ordinator had been contracted by the council for three months to investigate who the homeless were, how they could be helped, the extent of the problem in the city, and comparative cost of temporary and permanent accommodation.

A forum between the council and skilled social and community organisations would be held in late February to discuss the issues and the establishment of permanent accommodation, he said.

It had been estimated that up to 200 people, including families, were sleeping rough in the city, the meeting was told.

Many of the homeless had diverse reasons regarding why they were in such a difficult situation.

There was no one single reason - some had been kicked out of the family home, others preferred to live rough.

The Rotorua District Council already provided emergency funding to help accommodate homeless people in backpacker lodges on a temporary basis but there was no facility for long-term stays, Mr Jewell said.

The council had granted $30,000 a year for three years to the trust to fund an accommodation facility.

The grant had not been used to date, he said. Mr Jewell told the meeting on Wednesday a residential address had been inspected for possible use as a permanent accommodation site but no decision would be made to purchase it until further investigation was completed.

It would need to conform to council health and safety requirements, he said.

Mr Jewell would not divulge where the address was until a final decision was made.

The meeting voted to dissolve the trust and merge it with another group supporting a permanent facility under the title of Rotorua Community Nightshelter Society.

Mr Jewell said the merger would share skills and workload to provide help for those who needed it.

"We are looking for a total package in trying to solve the problem.

"The two groups will be able to dovetail on each other.

"Finally I can see the end after 13 years that we are going to reach our destination."

Rotorua resident Jim Adams, who has advocated for a permanent facility, said the outcome was positive.

"It was time to throw our lot in together with the trust and work as one," he said.

A permanent facility would help Rotorua lead the country to achieving "zero homelessness".

He suggested Rotorua follow Utah, which had decriminalised homelessness, forcing the authorities to provide permanent accommodation.

The site earmarked as a possible facility was now being used for housing and would comply with legislative requirements, he said.

"We are not looking at a derelict building."

The proposed facility would only be for Rotorua people, not out-of-towners, he said.