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Retired police officer speaks out over emergency housing destruction
13 May, 2021 06:10 PM
7 minutes to read
Retired Rotorua policeman Phil Spackman is speaking out about living near emergency housing providers. Photo / Andrew Warner
Retired Rotorua policeman Phil Spackman is speaking out about living near emergency housing providers. Photo / Andrew Warner
Being attacked by an unregistered dog running out of an emergency housing motel was the last straw for retired Rotorua policeman Phil Spackman, who says Rotorua has been trashed . Spackman, a former senior sergeant who spent 35 years in the police and retired in 2000, said he was angry and disappointed about where Rotorua was heading and was concerned where it would end.
Rotorua MP Todd McClay urges council to tell Rotorua moteliers no more emergency housing
5 May, 2021 06:00 PM
5 minutes to read
Rotorua MP Todd McClay. Photo / File
Rotorua MP Todd McClay is demanding the council put a sinking lid on the number of people living in emergency accommodation in the city s motel. The call comes after it was revealed emergency housing stays in motels longer than 28 days breached the Rotorua Lakes Council s district plan.
McClay said the council should not be seen to be allowing the breaches to continue and should be urgently contacting all moteliers to say no more emergency housing guests .
Lawyer says Rotorua s emergency housing breaches council s district plan
29 Apr, 2021 06:00 PM
7 minutes to read
Rotorua barrister Kevin Badcock. Photo / Kelly Makiha
Putting people in emergency housing for longer than 28 days in some Rotorua motels is breaching the city s district plan, a Rotorua barrister says. Rotorua MP Todd McClay said the lawyer s legal opinion showed the Government was trying to sweep Rotorua s homeless problem under the rug.
Rotorua Lakes Council admitted it was aware of the problem - pointing out it was not just an issue for Rotorua - but said it would not change the district plan. The council said it was working with Government agencies and ministers on a solution.
Green Party co-leader and Associate Housing Minister Marama Davidson said some were living in inhumane, undignified situations and the way money was handed out to motels and other providers - with no strings attached - was unacceptable .
While this is not in her direct delegation , with emergency housing grants caretaken through MSD , she said there was a broad expectation of a basic level of provision and service - not just for the taxpayers money - which in itself is hefty and an unacceptable and ineffective cost for all of us. but also the cost of the cumulative harm .
From what she has heard from residents and those working on the frontline, Davidson was not satisfied emergency housing is fully safe for everybody ; some were made to feel barely human, seen primarily as a way for commercial motels to make quick money .