Summarised by Centrist
The government’s new emergency housing policies are having a mixed impact in regions like Masterton and Rotorua.
In Masterton, homelessness has noticeably increased, with people sleeping rough under bridges and in shop doorways.
Labour MP Kieran McAnulty said he’s concerned about the freeze on public housing builds, saying, “What worries me is that if these projects have stopped, where are these people gonna go? Are we going to have to build more night shelters to house these people?”
In Rotorua, emergency housing in motels has decreased by 60%, but many former residents are struggling. Meredith Herbert, a lawyer with Rotorua Community Law, said, “While the statistics for emergency housing have dropped, what we are seeing is that particularly single males… are now back on our streets.”
Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell added, “We say to the government: why is government funding allowing tenancies in places that may not be appropriate for residential development?” She supports ending the use of motels for emergency housing by 2025.
Despite efforts to track people leaving emergency housing, 20% remain unaccounted for. Social Housing Minister Tama Potaka noted, “We now know where nearly 80% are going… but we’re very focused on tamariki children and their whānau, moving them out of motels as a priority.”
