The Premium Debate: Subscribers weigh in on Rotorua's emergency housing

Fenton St in Rotorua. Photo / NZME

Nearly $70 million has been spent on emergency housing in Rotorua over almost five years and the average stay in motels has stretched to 35 weeks, new figures reveal.

A slide presentation by the Rotorua Lakes Council also reveals government officials were warned about the city's dire situation in February last year. The presentation described Rotorua as being on a "downward spiralling poverty crisis exacerbated by siloed government initiatives".

Read the full story: 'Spiralling poverty crisis': Nearly $70m spent on Rotorua's emergency housing

Just wonder how Rotorua would look if all the commercial development was replaced by residential development. Rotorua has a glut of retail and a shortage of housing.
Peter M

The Government has failed at many things but surely this must top the list. It staggers me how they have any support at all after reading stories like this. NZ is falling behind at a rapid rate of knots and needs some urgent attention and change.
Alan M

So sad, we travel down to Rotorua at least once a year. Sometimes twice, with 3-4 grandkids for a week at a time. Stay on Fenton St in motels. Eat out, do the tourist things. We could spend thousands of dollars easily.
We are going elsewhere now.
Really sad.
Sue C

What is National's solution then? Obviously, using motels as emergency housing is not ideal, but Labour has built more social housing since the Kirk government. This is a problem 30 years in the making. While National can jump up and down about, there is no concrete solution from them.
Sam L

I grew up in Rotorua. It was once a bustling tourist town. Now the place I fondly remember is a scruffy dump. The town is heavily reliant on two industries, forestry and tourism; if tourists don't want to visit, the economic situation is dire.
Byron A

Here is the real store of things coming home to roost. The Govt needs to wake up and realise it can't solve the housing situation on its own. It needs private rentals to boost the volume of rentals available. So instead of kicking landlords, they should have been encouraging them. Such is the outcome of ideology versus reality.
Storm R

Rotorua had a wonderful town centre that has been ruined by having MIQ and emergency housing. A large fail by current govt. New Zealanders need to vote Labour out over this so that this sort of destruction of people's lives cannot happen again. The children who have been housed in this way deserve better.
Kirsty G

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