Election 2023: What Rotorua and Waiariki candidates say to a mum whose whānau of five live in an emergency housing motel

Ahead of the election, the Rotorua Daily Post is asking Rotorua and Waiariki candidates what they and their parties would do to help some of the people who have recently shared their struggles and stories with our readers. First up is Pareuruora Rangirangi: mum, emergency housing motel resident and newly crowned Miss Rotorua.

Most nights, Pareuruora Rangirangi must make the heartbreaking choice of which of her kids must go and stay somewhere else.

This is so the whānau of five does not exceed the four-person overnight occupancy limit in their one-bedroom Rotorua motel unit.

Last month, Rangirangi spoke to the Rotorua Daily Post about the “harsh realities of life trapped in a motel” after her whānau lost their rental home of two years in April, what it would mean to them to find a new rental, and how she keeps her spirits up through it all.

She was on the waitlist for social housing and was also looking for a private rental, but feared the odds were against her in that market.

She likened her search to a “lucky dip” because landlords and property managers have so many tenant options.

Despite the challenges, Rangirangi managed to attend 12 weeks of rehearsals for the Miss Rotorua pageant and last week she was crowned the winner.

Pareuruora Rangirangi has been crowned this year's winner of the Miss Rotorua beauty pageant. Photo / Shelz Media

When asked what she wanted to change after this year’s election, she said more support was needed for those in emergency housing, such as courses on finances and how to deal with loss, grief, breakups and relationships.

“If you don’t have those foundations and you don’t come from a family who have values and morals … you don’t know what you’re doing. That’s why you end up back in addiction, back on the pokies, drinking, losing your kids, because you’re losing your mind and you don’t have the support you need to be a strong wahine or [a] strong man in today’s generation.”

Rotorua candidate responses

Kariana Black-Vercoe (NewZeal)

Kia ora Pateuruora, NewZeal Party believe all Kiwis should prosper and own their own homes. I say this from a position of “I’ve been there” and, as a young single mum, found further education the key to my family’s success: teacher, educator, candidate for the NewZeal Party. I am connected to faith-based and government organisations, that nurture many of the skills needed to learn about healthy relationships, financial success and how to manage grief in healthy ways, within a community of care. Let’s work together – Vote Black-Vercoe as your candidate for Rotorua.

Todd McClay (National Party)

Labour using Rotorua as a dumping ground for NZ’s homelessness problem has failed our city. Motel rooms are for tourists, not homeless families. National will end the use of motels in Rotorua by partnering with community housing providers to get families into homes, jobs, training, and kids into schools. Labour spends $1 million each day on homeless motels with little real support given to the most vulnerable. This is frankly not good enough ... This will end under the next National government.

Merepeka Raukawa-Tait (Te Pāti Māori)

Well done Pare, Miss Rotorua Beauty Queen 2023. You are a role model determined to make a good life for your four children. Living in a motel, you identified support services need to change. To me, this shows better needs assessment is required for the whole family from the outset and not just for housing support. I think providers and their services need regular evaluation to ensure they remain fit for purpose. Te Pāti Māori knows a whole-of-family approach to support services is what’s required. Politicians would benefit from listening to people with lived experience. Kia kaha Pare.

Marten Rozeboom (ACT New Zealand)

Hi Pareuruora, Well done you, Miss Rotorua. I would like to know what you felt the moment you heard your name read out. A true inspiration to us all. Even in your world of not knowing when you and your family will be under the same roof, you found the time to look over the horizon and turn a challenge into a reality. You are an inspiration. You have shown your kids and the people of Rotorua that, if you believe and are persistent, you can achieve anything. You go girl. An inspiration, Marten.

Ben Sandford (Labour Party)

I was sitting just behind your family at Miss Rotorua on Saturday, congratulations! Labour inherited a housing crisis and record homelessness from National. To fix this in six years we have delivered over 270 social houses in Rotorua, with 500 more to come. We have made rental accommodation more stable, ending no-cause evictions. We bought back Adult and Community Education and introduced fees-free training. There is a need for wraparound services, and we have been supporting Te Pokapū to deliver social worker support, ready-to-rent programmes, budgeting training, numeracy and literacy training, and after-school and holiday programmes for children.

Independent candidate John Naera was also approached for comment.

Waiariki candidate responses

Toni Boynton (Labour Party)

Tēnā koe Pare, the leadership you are demonstrating to use your newfound platform to speak truth and lived experience of whānau in emergency is powerful – thank you. Wraparound services for whānau in emergency housing has been the intent. However, I can follow this up, having worked with whānau in emergency housing as a kaimahi for Iwi Social and Health Services. Ensuring tenants have rights, whānau have access to emergency housing, supported into housing and building more homes are Labour priorities. Every whānau deserves to feel safe, warm and have a stable environment for their tamariki to thrive in.

Charles Tiki Hunia (Vision New Zealand)

Tēnā koe Pareuruora, congratulations on winning Miss Rotorua pageant. We should not splitwhānau up so this must be addressed first, by either addressing occupation rates or creating options for larger whānau sizes. Kāinga Ora homes are being built in Rotorua, surely something could be done for you. There are already successful programmes within the community, eg Ngāti Whakaue for financial literacy, Man Up and Legacy to help address relationships and breakups. You are right, we need more robust programmes and courses. You are obviously a dedicated person, and I believe we can work together on solutions to empower you.

Rawiri Waititi (Te Pāti Māori)

Pareururoa, tēnā koe. To hear you are having to split your whānau to succumb to room occupancy rules saddens me. It indicates that tikanga Māori is being ignored and that they are not resourced to support the needs of whānau. We must immediately implement the Whānau Ora model into the operations of emergency housing. A full wraparound service empowering whānau to develop their plan, and execute it. We will crack down on those individuals keeping properties empty, contributing to increased competitiveness for renters. Practical proven solutions, to support whānau. That’s my commitment to you. Kia kaha rā, Rawiri Waititi.

Editor’s note: Submissions may have been edited.

Michaela Pointon is an NZME reporter based in the Bay of Plenty and was formerly a feature writer.