Kelly Makiha: Fighting for Rotorua: Let’s make the housing accord a worthwhile piece of paper

Housing Accord signing at Rotorua Lakes Council. Housing Minister Megan Woods joined the signing remotely because bad weather prevented her plane from landing. Photo / Ben Fraser

OPINION

It’s nearly time for a holiday, to wind down, forget our troubles and just relax in New Zealand’s glorious summer.

But for many, when the country takes a break, that means movement on important work comes to a halt.

So it was good to see the Government, Te Arawa, Ngāti Whakaue and the Rotorua Lakes Council last week sign the Rotorua Housing Accord, which tackles emergency housing and housing supply.

The signing of an accord between the three parties is a positive and important step.

Housing Accord signing at Rotorua Lakes Council. Rotorua deputy mayor Sandra Kai-Fong (left) Rotorua mayor Tania Tapsell, Te Arawa representative Leith Comer and Ngati Whakaue representative Lauren James. Photo / Ben Fraser

But my positivity comes with some hesitation - not because I don’t believe those in power are well-meaning, but, if I’m being brutally honest, Rotorua has heard it all before.

One of the bullet points is this: “To end the use of mixed-use motels or similar accommodation for emergency housing”.

Housing Minister Megan Woods said at the signing on Friday last week this meant the mixed-use (which means tourists and those needing emergency housing) of motels for emergency housing would fall to three by the New Year. I note Woods’ time reference and the number it is expected to drop to was not included in the accord itself.

It was said at the signing that 20 fewer motels were being used than at this time last year.

Another bullet point: “Reduce the use of motels for emergency housing in Rotorua to near zero as soon as possible”.

This, for most locals, is all Rotorua has wanted. The Government has always said it was never the intention for this to be a long-term solution. So what’s new? Weren’t you already doing that? The important piece of information that is missing in that bullet point is how long will this take. How long is “as soon as possible”?

If we wind the clock back to May 2021 there was another big announcement about Rotorua’s emergency housing.

This time it was following the setting up of the Rotorua Housing Taskforce - a partnership between the council, Te Arawa and other government departments (so, similar to those involved in the accord).

At this announcement, Woods said the Government would take greater control over the use of Rotorua’s motels for emergency housing in a $30 million initiative. This was the start of the work around long-term contracts with motels and motels managed by wrap-around services.

At that announcement, it was said the mixed-use of motels would end. But they didn’t say when. And, guess what? It didn’t. In fact, the numbers grew and by the end of March this year, the Government was paying more in emergency housing and special needs grants than it ever was.

I believe Rotorua was dealt a raw deal when it came to emergency housing simply because we had empty motels. People came from out of town - and no doubt other housing situations in Rotorua - and the Government was too slow to respond to the implications of this for locals and businesses.

It appears public and media pressure is working and the Government is now trying to reduce the number of motels being used and there are now many fewer households in emergency housing.

How, specifically, has this happened? Could it be those signing off the grants are now taking a harder line with those who have no real and meaningful links to Rotorua? Isn’t that what locals have been asking for all along?

Where have those people gone who were in the 20 motels no longer being used for emergency housing?

There is now a Rotorua Housing Accord website that includes a dashboard showing the actual numbers of people living in emergency housing on a monthly basis, broken down to adults and children.

I believe there should be even more information added to this dashboard - such as where the people who enter emergency housing have come from and where people who leave go.

In my view, if we as a city are kept in the loop, it will help restore the trust in those trying to make a difference and will help ensure the accord is a meaningful piece of paper.

For Rotorua’s sake, I don’t want to be reporting on another agreement, accord, announcement or taskforce this time next year that promises to see “agencies” and “stakeholders” vowing to work together for “better outcomes”.