According to the council, emergency housing motels account for a third of the 120 family harm calls per week in Rotorua.
Fenton St, Rotorua.
Photo: ROTORUA DAILY POOST/ Andrew Warner
Anaru Pewhairangi, Rotorua lakes Council community wellbeing deputy chief executive, made these comments at last week’s Operations and Monitoring Committee meeting.
Family harm advocate: Emergency accommodation is “incredibly unsafe” for children, especially.
Carmel Sepuloni Minister for Social Development says emergency accommodation is necessary but not ideal. However, it is better than people sleeping rough under tents or in cars.
Pewhairangi was the Rotorua Police Area Commander from 2017 to 2019. He stated that in 2018, police would receive approximately 70 calls each week for family harm incidents in Rotorua.
“Currently, there are over 120 family harm incidents each week.”
He suggested it could be a good sign that there is an increase in family harm reports, rather than an increase in incidents.
“However, one-third of the family harm that’s happening here have come from our [emergency housing motels].”
He stated that Rotorua had “between five to ten” families who came into Rotorua every week with family harm safety programs.
“Those are people who have complex, high-risk needs and come to our place. My police colleagues have told me that they don’t have any connection with Rotorua.”
Anaru Pwhairangi is Rotorua lakes Council’s community wellbeing deputy chief Executive. Photo / Stephen Parker/ Rotorua Daily Press [via ldr single use only]
Photo: ROTORUA DAILY POST/ Stephen Parker
Pewhairangi stated that known gang members lived in the motels, which included mixed-use motels that were shared with tourists.
Megan Woods, Housing Minister announced that the government would ban “mixed use” motels starting in May 2021.
Woods also announced that the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development would be responsible for contracting motels for emergency accommodation.
Pewhairangi stated that sites managed and contracted had “minimal problems” during Thursday’s meeting of the committee.
He stated that unmanaged sites had “the most problems”.
“That would be confirmed also by our police colleagues.”
Referring to Dot Loves Data as his data aggregator, he stated that 86 per cent of crime occurs in high-privation regions and that 61% of Rotorua residents live in high poverty.
He stated that the council’s safe-city guardians and surveillance camera monitoring had “anecdotally observed the impact on alcohol, antisocial behaviour, and the visibility of gangs.”
Rotorua district councillor Merepeka Raukawa-Tait. Photo / Andrew Warner/ Rotorua Weekly Post [via ldr single use only]
Photo: ROTORUA DAILY POOST/ Andrew Warner
Pewhairangi stated that the council was sharing information about the police, but it was “very clear”, Rotorua police were under extreme pressure and that both the police force and the council had been experiencing an increase in calls for service.
He stated that the most notable increase in crime was on Fenton St., but this was not the case in 2018, when he was the area commander.
“Something has changed here.”
Pewhairangi reported that Poto Williams, Police Minister and Associate Housing (Public housing) Minister, visited Rotorua in April. He said it had been “encouraging” to see him and that he had indicated the need for an action plan from the government to address emergency accommodation and safety in the community.
Merepeka RaukawaTait, councillor, stated that safety concerns were not limited to the wider community, but also for people who are in emergency accommodation.
She said that although it was not always the wider community complaining about the motels’ problems, it was common for some to live in “quite toxic environments” every day.
Dave Donaldson, Deputy Mayor, stated that the family harm callouts to emergency housing motels as well as other statistics “thoroughly endorse” the council’s “regulatory approach”.
The council disclosed that it had written letters in April to nine motels to discuss compliance to the Building Act, Resource Management Act, and Rotorua District plan.
This means that motels will need inform the council if their emergency housing providers status will be maintained or whether they will return to hosting visitors. They will have to comply with the policies and laws if they want to continue as emergency housing providers. Otherwise, they could face legal action.
Mihi James, Waiariki Women’s Refuge deputy chairman and Rotorua family lawyer, is Mihi James.
Photo: ROTORUA DAILY POOST/ Andrew Warner
Mihi James, a Rotorua family lawyer, and Waiariki Women’s Refuge chairwoman, said that the third figure “definitely” seemed correct based upon her experience.
She stated that many people who had to flee from family harm situations were forced to seek refuge in emergency housing.
“They are forced to go to a place that is actually more dangerous.”
She claimed that she had clients who said they would rather go home and be beaten every day than to see their perpetrator at home.
“It’s better to be the devil you don’t know.”
“Emergency housing presents a significant risk to anyone who stays there.”
She believed that emergency accommodation should be available, with appropriate screening, for those fleeing family violence.
James said that many tenants living in emergency housing had serious mental, drug, and alcohol abuse issues.
“It’s extremely unsafe, especially for children.”
Carmel Sepuloni, Social Development Minister, stated that the ministry provided support for families in need of emergency housing and had family violence coordinators who sat at the police-led family violence hearing.
She stated that she expected the appropriate services to intervene in family harm situations and provide support.
She stated that emergency housing providers were free to choose who they let into their units.
“We appreciate the assistance they provide to households within the region who are in greatest need.”
She stated that the ministry had advised her that most Rotorua motels were “not generally mix-use”, but some motels accepted both.
“Ideally, Rotorua wouldn’t be in housing hardship or needing emergency accommodation in motels. But successive governments haven’t increased the housing stock. Although we are making progress in this area, it will still take some time to build the housing Rotorua requires.
She said that while emergency housing was a priority, the government would continue to explore longer-term housing options.
“We know that motels are not ideal. However, it is important that people in housing hardship are not left to sleep rough in tents in cars or in tents.
“We are committed in ending the need to provide emergency housing by building more homes.”
A Ministry of Social Development report was presented to elected members on Thursday. It revealed that about a third of those in emergency accommodation were from outside the district.
Sixty nine percent of clients came from Rotorua. 19% were from nearby areas such as Kawerau and Taup. Twelve percent came from further afield.
According to data from the ministry, taxpayers paid $24.7 million to 15 Rotorua motels that provided emergency accommodation between July 2019 and June 2021.
The police, Megan Woods Housing Minister, and Rawiri Waititi Waiariki MP were all contacted for comment.
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