Move is in response to the city being identified as a “homelessness hotspot”
Housing Minister Megan Wood has announced plans to address Rotorua’s status as a “homelessness hotspot” with the launch of a “place-based assessment” of its housing problems, according to an RNZ report.
The initiative is in response to Rotorua being identified as one of six “homelessness hotspots” by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development – other hotspots include Hastings, Auckland region, Wellington region, Northland, and Hamilton. Under the approach, the ministry will work with different stakeholders in Rotorua – including the Rotorua Lakes Council and the local iwi Te Arawa community – to assess the city’s housing and homelessness issues.
Read more: Government announces extra funding to house homeless
According to Wood, place-based assessments help the government “better understand the causes of housing pressure and then work with local communities to respond to local issues.”
“Rotorua is experiencing many challenges, including strong population growth, housing affordability issues, as well as issues with unlocking access to land for housing,” Wood told RNZ. “This, alongside a tight rental market, has led to increased housing stress for many households, increasing demand for public housing, and a strong reliance on Rotorua motels for emergency housing.”
Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick told RNZ that the approach would enable the community to “tackle other issues of concern, such as inner-city safety.”
“We are all worried and anxious,” said Chadwick. “We are a caring community and I always hear how we need to support and walk beside the genuine homeless."
However, Chadwick added that “simply providing homes" addresses only one part of the city’s problems.
“We want to ensure people have homes that match their needs and that they have access to services and amenities they need to be supported, connected and resilient,” Chadwick told RNZ. “We also need to address infrastructure to enable housing development, will work with our construction and building sectors to ensure they are resourced and ready and need funding and investment to support and enable delivery.”
