Housing Tauranga's homeless in motels during five weeks of lockdown cost just over $3 million. Photo / Getty Images
Housing Tauranga's homeless in motels during five weeks of lockdown cost just over $3 million. Photo / Getty Images
New figures reveal the cost of housing the homeless in motels in Tauranga. Journalist Kelly Makiha reports.
The Government has spent just over $3 million on eight additional Tauranga motels in five weeks to house the city's homeless during the lockdown period.
That money was given in housing grants betweenMarch 25 and May 1 and is on top of what is already being spent to put a roof over the heads of the city's homeless in emergency accommodation.
In the year to March 31 this year, more than $5.7m has been spent on 4485 emergency housing grants in Tauranga.
New figures released to the Bay of Plenty Times under the Official Information Act show the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development spent an additional $3m on eight motels in just five weeks for 135 "placements" as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.
The ministry said placements didn't necessarily equate to individuals, rather 135 placements could house 135 households. All figures supplied excluded GST.
The additional spend was to ensure those sleeping rough in Tauranga had a safe and secure roof over their head during the level 4 lockdown.
Te Tuinga Whanau Support Services Trust director Tommy Wilson. Photo / File
Te Tuinga Whanau Support Services Trust director Tommy Wilson, who has contracts to run two of the eight motels that received the funding, said he was blown away with how much money was spent.
He said the trust had worked with the homeless in the city for decades and had provided the people they had in their motels since lockdown with a safe roof over their head as well as wrap-around services to help with their addictions and social service needs.
"We now have three motels (third contract began after May 1) and it's working well. We have got them warm, well and safe."
Ministry of Social Development regional commissioner Mike Bryant said the ministry was supporting 169 households in emergency housing in Tauranga as at Friday, June 5. That was compared with 123 households at the week ending Friday March 27 when lockdown began.
Tauranga's emergency housing spend during the lockdown period contributed to the $5.9m that was spent during those five weeks on additional emergency housing throughout the entire Bay of Plenty. The Bay's total figure includes seven motels in Rotorua that cost $1.8m for 104 placements.
The Bay region had the second biggest spend, closely following Auckland on $8.9m. The next nearest region to come close was Canterbury which was given $1.6m.
Ministry of Housing and Urban Development housing supply, response and partnerships acting deputy chief executive Jo Hogg said the ministry had been working with other agencies, community groups, iwi and private accommodation providers to urgently help vulnerable New Zealanders who were homeless during the pandemic.
Since the alert levels, about 1200 extra places nationwide, mainly motels, were secured for people where social distancing was not possible.
She said residents were being supported with wrap-around services including regular wellbeing checks, ensuring they were able to access food and welfare and connecting them with other essential services such as healthcare.
Hogg said the Bay of Plenty's response was regularly shifting according to demand and as people presented for urgent accommodation.
She said most motels had initially been contracted for three months although there was some variation in contracts. The Government has committed funding of $107.6m to ensure people can stay housed until long-term housing supply is available.
New Zealand emergency housing grants Region - Number of motels - Number of places - Contract value Northland -7 - 58 - $1,367,460.39 Auckland - 26 - 459 - $8,932,652.63 Bay of Plenty - 21 - 318 - $5,909,822.93 Waikato - 4 - 45 - $624,598.24 East Coast - 6 - 80 - $912,441.85 Central - 1 - 15 - $368,745.00 Wellington - 9 - 112 - $1,215,649.47 Nelson Tasman - 6 - 46 - $1,053,104.50 Canterbury - 10 - 75 - $1,577,319.07 Total - 90 - 1208 - $21,961,794.08
In the Bay of Plenty City - Number of motels - Number of places - Contract Value Tauranga - 8 - 135 - $3,092,760.32 Rotorua - 7 - 104 - $1,887,607.00
Tauranga homeless facts * An additional $3m was spent for eight motels for 135 "placements" from March 25 to May 1. * In 12 months to March 2020, $5.7m has been spent on 4485 emergency housing grants for mainly motels in Tauranga. * There are 169 households in emergency housing placements in Tauranga as of Friday, June 5.
