Tauranga homeless housing provider not taking in the unvaccinated

RSA Tauranga will require all visitors and transitional housing residents to be fully vaccinated. Photo / George Novak

No jab, no room. A transitional housing motel in Tauranga is banning anyone who hasn't been vaccinated.

The RSA motel, which was managed by Tauranga's Te Tuinga Whanau, had taken the stance, which kicks in today.

Ministry of Social Development regional commissioner Mike Bryant said it did not want people turned away and would work to find something for everyone who needed it.

RSA Tauranga would require anyone on-site to be vaccinated, which included the restaurant which was open to the public.

Transitional housing residents were told last month they would need to be vaccinated, executive director Tommy Wilson said.

"It didn't go so well. There's going to be a lot of pushback, but what can I do?"

Wilson said some clients felt it was a breach of human rights.

"People make their own choices. We can only give them the choice of staying with us if they're vaccinated or staying somewhere else if they're not."

Te Tuinga Whanau Support Services executive director Tommy Wilson. Photo / File

He said there was not yet a mandate for social workers and transitional housing staff, but all his staff were vaccinated.

Four staff had been stood down due to their vaccine status, and Wilson said it was "sad to see them go".

Two staff had left their jobs, unrelated to the vaccine, and Wilson was struggling to find replacement staff.

"They haven't stopped since February last year. They're tired."

He said those staff were fully qualified but had "just had enough".

"No one wants to come and work on the frontline now."

"My drive is to look after our frontline workers who then can look after all of the homeless and at-risk."

RSA President Fred Milligan said many of their members and clients were elderly, and it was important to protect them.

Tauranga RSA president Fred Milligan. Photo / File

He said the RSA had been working closely with the trust to finalise details.

Ministry of Social Development regional commissioner Mike Bryant said in a written statement that it did not require clients to be vaccinated to get emergency housing grants.

However, some suppliers were only allowing vaccinated guests.

He said this was a "small number" of providers, however none were from the Bay of Plenty.

Bryant said its role was to support people into suitable housing as quickly as possible when they came to the agency with an urgent housing need and no other options.

"We do not want people being turned away," he said.

He said it supported the Ministry of Health's vaccination campaign by sharing messaging with clients and emergency housing suppliers across the country.

The Government's Covid-19 website states that people would not be asked for their vaccine certificate to access emergency, public or social housing.

Ministry of Social Development regional commissioner Mike Bryant. Photo / File

A Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) spokesman said in a written statement that some providers were asking new clients to be vaccinated due to health and safety concerns.

However, he said the ministry recognised providers needed to do their own health and safety assessment to ensure the safety of residents and staff.

Safety concerns included places that had communal living, vulnerable residents or other circumstances that deem it appropriate to insist on vaccine requirements, he said.

"This is a question of balance," he said.

"While safety of residents and staff is paramount, this needs to be balanced with the fact that people presenting with urgent housing needs have very few, or no, other options.''