Wednesday, 17 August 2022
OpinionSportMoneyLifestyleRural
Residential Property Listing
Driven MotoringPhotosVideoRotorua WeekenderTaupo & Turangi Herald
WhakataneTaurangaRotoruaTaupo
NZ HeraldThe Northern AdvocateThe Northland AgeThe AucklanderWaikato HeraldBay Of Plenty TimesRotorua Daily PostHawke's Bay TodayWhanganui ChronicleThe Stratford PressManawatu GuardianKapiti NewsHorowhenua ChronicleTe Awamutu CourierVivaEat WellOneRoofDriven MotoringThe CountryPhoto SalesNZ Herald InsightsWatchMeGrabOneiHeart RadioRestaurant Hub

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
Rotorua Daily Post

Govt has spent $1b on emergency housing grants, including motel accommodation

28 Jun, 2022 05:00 PM3 minutes to read
Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni during Question Time. Photo / Photo Mark Mitchell

Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni during Question Time. Photo / Photo Mark Mitchell

Jason Walls
By
Jason Walls

Newstalk ZB Chief Political Reporter

VIEW PROFILE

The Government has spent more than $1 billion on emergency housing grants since it came into office five years ago.

A large proportion of that money has been spent on housing people in need of accommodation in motels across the country.

Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni confirmed through answers to written parliamentary questions that since December 2017, the Government's spent $1.2b through the grants.

Senior National MP Chris Bishop said this is a grim milestone for the Government.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Read More

  • Subsidy for troubled Wellington council social housing ...
  • Wellington mayor Andy Foster says council's social ...
  • Kāinga Ora spends $1b buying state homes in five years ...
  • Kāinga Ora announces new measures to crack down on ...
  • National accuses Government of 'pumped-up' housing ...
  • Reaction to John Key's state housing policy: 'He's ...

"It's a staggering sum of money and I think New Zealanders will be shocked at the scale of the spending on emergency housing."

Currently, there are roughly 4000 households living in emergency housing across New Zealand – many in motels.

Bishop said this is no way for families to be housed.

"What the Government is doing is paying millions and millions of dollars to motel owners, which is great for them; it's a get-rich-quick scheme.

"But it's absolutely terrible for people who are forced to live in these conditions."

An emergency housing motel in Rotorua. Photo / Andrew Warner
An emergency housing motel in Rotorua. Photo / Andrew Warner

He said the fact the $1b mark has almost certainly been passed is a sign of Labour's failure on housing.

Related articles

New Zealand

'That stabbing didn't need to happen': Witness' regret as 'naked' man wounded

27 Jun 01:00 AM

Premium Debate: Subscriber views on staged approach to meet district plan

28 Jun 10:30 PM

Emergency housing: Lobby group wins battle over 'unnecessarily difficult' paperwork

26 Jun 06:06 PM

Sepuloni said using motels for emergency housing was not something the Government wants in the long term.

"We don't want any New Zealander to be in emergency accommodation – but if there is no other option then we need that there as an option for them."

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

She took aim at the previous Government which "left [us] with a housing crisis".

"We need to house our most vulnerable people. We are making progress."

In fact, she said the number of people receiving emergency housing grants began to stabilise at the beginning of this year, and is now beginning to steadily fall.

"It's important however that we ensure people have the option of a roof over their heads, and are not forced to sleep in cars or tents," Sepuloni said.

Emergency housing is accommodation for people who urgently need a place to stay and have nowhere else to go.

The emergency accommodation is meant to be temporary while the Government finds more permanent means of housing.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

In many cases, the Government pays motel owners for rooms for emergency housing grant recipients to stay.

Sepuloni said this is a last resort.

National MP Chris Bishop. Photo / Mark Mitchell
National MP Chris Bishop. Photo / Mark Mitchell

But in some parts of the country, residents have complained of social unrest at these motels.

Restore Rotorua – a group campaigning against the Government using motels as social housing – say the issue is at breaking point.

"What we've got here is a huge cumulative effect … Fenton St, which used to be known as Rotorua's 'Golden Mile', and now it's Rotorua's 'MSD Mile'", group chair Trevor Newbrook told Newshub.

Meanwhile, the state house waiting list has reached another record high.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

The latest data shows 27,200 people are now waiting for a state house – Bishop said these figures have increased fivefold since Labour took office.

Sepuloni said the Government is working towards building more state houses, and residential homes.

"What we have been doing is focusing on building the public housing we need and also making sure we have the right environment and regulation in place to build more houses."

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily PostUpdated

'A huge advocate': PM pays tribute after death of Te Arawa leader Sir Toby Curtis

17 Aug 06:37 AM
Rotorua Daily PostUpdated

Enjoy music from different cultures at Winter Music Festival

17 Aug 05:02 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Gregory Flavell: Search ongoing, appeal for paddle sightings

17 Aug 04:21 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Photos: Sir Toby Curtis

Rotorua Daily Post

Rural community marks Covid jab milestone

16 Aug 11:50 PM

Most Popular

Premium
Trauma counsellors: Ending bullying starts with 'treating it seriously'
Rotorua Daily Post

Trauma counsellors: Ending bullying starts with 'treating it seriously'

15 Aug 05:00 PM
Premium
How geothermal could supercharge Contact's earnings
Rotorua Daily Post

How geothermal could supercharge Contact's earnings

15 Aug 05:00 AM
Premium
What do businesses really think about buy now pay later?
Rotorua Daily Post

What do businesses really think about buy now pay later?

13 Aug 05:00 PM

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
About UsHelp & SupportContact UsSubscribe to Rotorua Daily PostHouse Rules
Manage Your Print SubscriptionRotorua Daily Post E-EditionAdvertise with NZMEBook Your AdPrivacy Policy
Terms of UseCompetition Terms & ConditionsSubscriptions Terms & Conditions
© Copyright 2022 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP