Letters: Night shelter not comparable to Grenfell Tower

Tiny Deane has closed the night shelter. Photo / File

The mayor says no one needs to sleep on the streets of Rotorua unless they want to (July 26).

In my view, this is an extraordinarily heartless, uninformed statement. She may as well have said "Let them eat cake".

As the wealth gap widens and the number of homeless escalates, more people will be sleeping in cars, marae and the streets.

Rotorua has a high number of homeless but when it comes to emergency accommodation for the homeless we can, and should, do better.

Tiny Deane started the shelter and was required by the council to keep the homeless awake at night, then threatened with a $200,000 fine should any fall asleep.

So he closed it.

Where were the council's wraparound support services to ensure the paperwork was completed?

The mayor likened the possibility of a fire at the shelter to the London Grenfell Tower fire.

The shelter is a one-storey building, a maximum of 50 homeless stayed and security guards were awake at night.

In comparison Grenfell was a 24-storey tower block of flats that went up in flames.

It left 72 dead and 200 injured and was attended by 250 firefighters and 70 engines.

In my view, to link the Visions of a Helping Hand shelter to Grenfell Tower is a disgraceful attempt to manipulate public opinion against Tiny Deane. It's no wonder so many homeless are still on the streets. (Abridged)

Patricia Hosking
Ngongotaha

Not on my watch

I could not believe my eyes when I read the mayor's comments "not on my watch would I have a Grenfell Tower on our hands". (Local News July 26.)

To use the Grenfell disaster as an excuse for the council's failure to do anything for the homeless in Rotorua, is absolutely deplorable.

Just when you think politicians could not sink any lower, they do.

Elaine Mander
Rotorua

More Kiwi spirit

Come on Steve Chadwick, comparing Grenfell Towers with the little place Tiny Deane has is really pushing it (Local News, July 26).

"Not on your watch" - talk about a mouse that roared.

What we want from you and your colleagues is a little bit less of the health and safety and a little bit more of the old Kiwi spirit. The rough sleepers need your help.

These are, after all, your citizens, and regardless they need your help and a little bit less of the posturing.

After all, that is supposed to be your job -or had you forgotten?

Jim Adams
Rotorua