Homeless in Rotorua spotlight as council moves camp from Salvation Army – Editorial

The homeless and their possessions outside the Salvation Army store on Amohia St in Rotorua. Photo / Kelly Makiha

Editorial

THE FACTS

• Homeless people in Rotorua were moved from Amohia St, sparking criticism from a charity worker.
• Businesses reported revenue loss due to the encampment, but the Salvation Army opposed displacement as a solution.
• Auckland reported a 53% increase in rough sleeping, highlighting a broader homelessness issue across the country.

They were the “invisible”. A subset of society who were hidden in plain sight, keeping to themselves and not usually bothering people.

But the homeless are in the spotlight for recent antics in Rotorua.

A group of homeless people have been camping out on Amohia St, outside the Salvation Army store.

They have since been moved on, some of them trespassed by the Rotorua council in a move a charity worker has described as “heartless”.

One homeless woman told NZME she felt like they were “being moved around like cattle”, forcing them to find elsewhere to sleep.

Outside the Sallies, they had mattresses, pillows, chairs and tarpaulins.

However, they were last week accused of behaving like “dogs”, urinating on cars with “bums in the air”.

A business owner near the Sallies says he’s lost most of his revenue because potential customers are too scared to walk past the encampment.

The Sallies did not ask them to leave, saying displacement is not a long-term solution.

Understandably, the public’s visceral reaction may be outrage, disgust or disbelief at the behaviour, but the Sallies’ hands were tied.

What must it look like for an organisation that exists to help the vulnerable and the struggling to shoo away the very people they serve?

Not only that – they didn’t want to go. There are ablutions and laundry facilities nearby and they were brought hot meals and drinks at night.

An idea has been tabled to use cabins imported from China, placed south of Rotorua, close to the old dump.

While this proposal, on its face, comes from compassion, it seems like an undignified way of sweeping the issue under the rug.

Others may argue that dedicated city shelters might be a better solution, but the issue comes down to who runs them and who pays?

Sadly, the Rotorua homelessness problem is duplicated in most cities and towns in New Zealand.

Belongings stored in an entranceway in central Auckland in 2020. Photo / RNZ

In Auckland, the Council Community Committee reported in March that there had been a 53% increase in people sleeping rough in the city, blamed on the Government’s hard line on unruly tenants in social housing.

Kāinga Ora got rid of 299 tenancies in the year to March – double the previous year, Newstalk ZB reported.

Data from Auckland Council’s Community Impact team show the number of people known to be living in cars, parks or on the streets rose from 426 in September to 653 people in January, prompting a “please help” letter to the Government.

It’s a fact that homelessness is part of a bigger social problem and solving it is nearly impossible.

Estrangement and a loss of family connection play a role for some, while addiction, poor mental health and poverty are a given.

Certainly, the anti-social behaviours need addressing, but the community ultimately needs to accept the homeless as a part of our society.

There are too many to stay hidden in plain sight anymore. It’s not a crime to be homeless and unfortunately, for now, the problem is here to stay.

Our Government needs to give more support to those at the coal face.

Sign up to the Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.