Watchdog Security chief executive Brett Wilson. Photo / Andrew Warner
The head of a Rotorua security firm says out-of-town homeless in motels are destroying the city's image and he says the Ministry of Social Development needs to fix the problem.
But the ministry - which is responsible for putting people in emergency housing - has denied there are large numbers of people from outside the area living in emergency housing motels, saying they account for less than 7 per cent.
The Rotorua Daily Post has talked to a Gisborne couple who moved to a Rotorua motel three weeks ago with their dog. They say they found their motel, got a quote for emergency housing and the ministry agreed to pay their $700-a-week fee. Their contribution is 25 per cent of their benefits, which equated to about $50 a week each.
They are grateful to Rotorua for looking after them so well and said it was their chance to make a fresh start. They say those moving into emergency housing in the area need to respect the city.
However, not all new arrivals shared the couple's outlook, according to Watchdog Security chief executive Brett Wilson.
His staff dealt with emergency housing clients regularly and knew who was from out-of-town.
"They are from Auckland, Palmerston North... We have effectively become a dumping ground because we look after them too well."
Wilson said they were dealing with more incidents linked to the motels.
"MSD is importing problems from other towns and that's having a negative effect. They are problematic and people who are creating ongoing issues around family violence and petty crime and disorder.
He said Glenholme was experiencing more burglaries and other crime and disorder was linked to those in the motels nearby.
"Drug use, substance abuse - it's all happening and it's a bad look for the city."
Wilson was concerned about what would happen when international visitors returned.
"Where will they go and why will they want to come when our motel environment is full of these types of people?
"It is a concern and we need to now start looking at the bigger long-term picture. Even in the short-term, how are our domestic visitors in the summer and Christmas holidays going to go?"
Wilson said it would be better for his business to say nothing.
"If I was worried about my work, it would be in my interests to be quiet and say nothing. I am more worried about the town my grandkids are growing up in and going to school in. The town I grew up in is not as safe or as pleasant anymore."
Inspector Phil Taikato said there had been a rise in family harm callouts to emergency and transitional housing providers.
"What we are seeing is these people are recidivist family harm offenders and we have them on record in places outside of Rotorua, like Waipukurau, Auckland and Invercargill. In 2020 their offending starts in Rotorua and that's an indication they are from out of town."
Taikato admitted the callouts to motels had "distracted our focus" from the wider areas of Rotorua.
"This time last year we averaged 70 family harm callouts a week in Rotorua, now we are averaging 100."
Ministry regional commissioner Mike Bryant said in response to Wilson's criticisms the "overwhelming majority of people in emergency housing in Rotorua are local".
Bryant said that at September 1, their figures showed less than 7 per cent of people being supported with emergency housing were from outside Rotorua. He said those people were likely to be coming home or returning for personal reasons.
"MSD does not make people move from one town to another. Emergency housing relies on commercial housing suppliers which are generally located in central city areas.
Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick said homelessness remained a major concern and using motels for emergency accommodation was not a viable long-term solution.
"Increasing housing supply is a priority and we have a plan in place and actions under way, she said.
"I can assure the community we are working hard on housing and on bringing relevant agencies together to collaborate on how we address local issues."
She said she hoped issues relating to anti-social and criminal behaviour were being raised with the police to ensure they are being dealt with.
"I have sought and received assurances several times that MSD is not actively bringing people here from other centres and have been clear that I do not want Rotorua becoming a preferred option for people from elsewhere and making the issue worse."
William Gray and his partner have left behind their troubles in Gisborne and are making a clean start in emergency housing in Rotorua - with their dog.
Gray's girlfriend, who didn't want to be named, said they had a "long hard journey" ahead but things were looking up.
Gray has employment picking kiwifruit. His girlfriend has two children in Gisborne aged under 5 who were being cared for by her family.
She said the couple had tried to find homes in Gisborne but none were available. They also didn't have any motels left for emergency housing. Staying with family was no longer possible, she said.
They found emergency housing easily in Rotorua, including a motel that allowed them to keep their dog outside their unit.
"It's a better lifestyle (in Rotorua) and you get better support (from the ministry). I get a lot more help down here than I did in Gisborne. They listen to what you're going through."
The woman said it was important people coming from out of town didn't treat it like a holiday and that they treated Rotorua with respect.
They noted some of the motels' clientele were not great neighbours.
"We see a lot of strange people," the woman said.
"We just don't want to stuff it up. We just keep to ourselves and stay focused."
Their motel costs $700 a week and they each pay about $50 a week from their benefits towards it.
Ministry housing general manager Karen Hocking the ministry helped people in urgent need find a place to stay as quickly as possible.
"It's important those needing housing don't have to live in cars or sleep rough. Many of those who come to us for emergency housing assistance are vulnerable and have circumstances that make it hard for them to get accommodation in the private sector.
Hocking said they assessed people's eligibility for public housing and provided financial help to allow them to stay in long-term housing. While they did this, they also worked with Kāinga Ora and other housing providers to find permanent housing, Hocking said.
"If a person asks for help moving to another centre we will talk through with them why they are seeking to move. This could be a range of reasons, including moving to access employment or be closer to family support."
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