The Government has announced a suite of changes to emergency housing provision in Rotorua.

The Government will directly contract motels in Rotorua to deliver emergency housing, making it easier for wrap-around support services to be delivered to whanau and tamariki living in motels.

A taskforce from central government has been working with the Rotorua Lakes District Council and Te Arawa iwi to provide better support and outcomes for people living in emergency housing motels and the community.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is taking over responsibility for contracting motels used for emergency housing, and ending the practice of mixed use motels.

'These moves will ensure whanau and tamariki are placed in accommodation with facilities better suited to their needs with support to keep them safe and well, and provide a pathway to more permanent housing,” says Housing Minister Megan Woods.

'These actions also help bring certainty to the Rotorua accommodation sector by having motels used exclusively for emergency housing, and help ensure there is separate suitable accommodation facilities for domestic and international visitors.

'Central government agencies have worked with council, iwi and NGOs to find solutions and we are investigating how this approach could support better outcomes in other areas with high levels of emergency housing.

'We do not see motels as a long-term answer for housing, but we need to deal with the immediate crisis we inherited while we build the medium to long term solutions by increasing housing supply.”

HUD and Kāinga Ora are assessing which of the current motels being used for emergency housing in Rotorua have facilities suitable for emergency housing for whanau and tamariki. HUD is talking with suitable motels this week about contracts for emergency housing.

Rotorua Lakes District Council has agreed to facilitate a temporary change in consenting to permit longer term stays for motels assessed as suitable for emergency housing. It will take several weeks to assess and engage all motels.

The Ministry of Social Development and HUD are working with Te Arawa and service providers to establish a Housing Hub, including contracting for wrap around support services for whanau and tamariki in motels.

The Hub will be up and running in the coming months.

'Once established the Housing Hub will be community led, and will provide a place where people needing emergency housing can also have their holistic care needs assessed and addressed, with placements triaged into appropriate accommodation,” says Social Development Minister, Carmel Sepuloni.

'Emergency housing is meant to be temporary solution for people who are unable to find accommodation but because of the housing shortage we inherited, some people are staying in motels longer. We are committed to supporting them and helping them find a long term, sustainable solution.”

More supply is critical to addressing housing in the long term and progress is being made. Kāinga Ora is working to deliver around 190 additional public houses in Rotorua by 2024 under the Public Housing Plan.

Kāinga Ora is also intensifying its efforts in Rotorua to identify opportunities for building new housing to provide more permanent homes.

In a nutshell

• Government to directly contract motels for emergency accommodation
• Wrap around social support services for those in emergency accommodation to be provided
• Grouping of cohorts like families and tamariki in particular motels separate from other groups
• One-stop Housing Hub for access to services and support to be established