Emergency housing bill: Homeless in Rotorua motels costs millions in three months
10 Mar, 2021 05:07 PM
7 minutes to read
More than $5.6 million has been spent on emergency housing and special needs grants in Rotorua during the past three months - a jump of nearly $1 million compared with the previous three months. The spend is being described as out of control by Rotorua MP Todd McClay and will be one of the topics discussed at what is expected to be a heated public meeting on homelessness he is hosting in Rotorua on Monday.
Emergency housing grants fund people with no other housing options to go into places such as motels while special needs grants cover essential one-off spends.
TONY WALL CHRISTEL YARDLEY/STUFF Motels in Rotorua are now filled with emergency housing clients instead of tourists.
Government agencies and social service providers deny they are shipping homeless people to Rotorua to fill motels left empty by the Covid crisis. But there is evidence that many of those in emergency housing in the tourist town are from other centres. Tony Wall investigates.
Allaneice Tautari and Temple Haimona-Young feel like refugees in their own country.
Originally from Hawke s Bay, over the past month the young couple – expecting their first child in May – have been homeless in Wellington and now Rotorua.
Press Release – New Zealand National Party Tourism destinations dependent on international visitors need urgent government action if they are to survive the Governments closed border, Nationals Tourism spokesperson Todd McClay says. It is appalling the Tourism Minister hasnt visited …
Tourism destinations dependent on international visitors need urgent government action if they are to survive the Government’s closed border, National’s Tourism spokesperson Todd McClay says.
“It is appalling the Tourism Minister hasn’t visited places like Te Anau, Franz Joseph, Fox Glacier and Haast since Labour came into Government in 2017.
“These are important tourist destinations wholly dependent on international visitors.
National MP Todd McClay calls public meeting to address Rotorua s homeless issue
25 Feb, 2021 06:00 PM
3 minutes to read
National MP Todd McClay is holding a public meeting to address Rotorua s homelessness problem. Photo / File
Rotorua Daily Post
Families too nervous to let their children walk to school because of neighbouring issues with crime and loitering has provoked a public meeting by Rotorua s National MP.
Todd McClay hopes it will give residents the opportunity to voice their concerns over homelessness, social disorder and crime.
McClay said residents of Glenholme, Fenton Park and the CBD were becoming increasingly agitated with people using Fenton St and surrounding areas to deal with Rotorua s housing shortage.