Letters: There is a solution to the housing crisis

There's a solution to the housing problem in Rotorua, says a reader. Photo / File

So the new help for the homeless has started right here in Rotorua. Good, not before time (Local News, April 30).

However, it appears to overlook a couple of fundamental issues.

Any kind of help given to the homeless will involve having enough houses - houses that anyone helping the homeless is able to afford.

You cannot pick houses out of a hat so therefore someone has to build those houses - or buy them.

Building houses in New Zealand is a risky business, it takes forever, builders are not available or unreliable.

The build quality is sometimes questionable. Buying houses, unless you have a few million to spare is out of the question, so where will these houses come from?

There is a better and quicker way to loosen up the housing market - stop using houses as a commodity.

Make people sell the houses they are not living in; that will stuff the market, house prices will fall and renters can buy.

People owing Airbnbs will have to sell, people sitting on houses waiting for the price to rise will have to sell and houses will once again become available for low wage earners to buy.

Jim Adams
Rotorua

Roadside rubbish

Well done, Jessica Pickering, (Letters, May 2) for commenting on the rubbish beside our roads in the Rotorua area and in particular I've been appalled at the rubbish around our airport - it must give such a poor impression to visitors and sadly reminds me of a Third World country - what kind of peasant throws rubbish out of their vehicles?

Having just had a moan about the rubbish beside our roads I would like to give a huge vote of thanks to the road maintenance gangs who have worked over the last couple of nights resurfacing the junction of SH30/33 thereby minimising disruption to the traffic during the day.

Anne Foale
Rotorua

City priorities

It's an easy answer to what needs doing in our city.

Priority 1: Fix the museum. Urgently

Priority 2: Fix the waterfront with a decent two-storey arcade of booking offices, cafe (with business partners).

Priority 3: Make more coach parking for Rotorua, also more car parking — pinch a bit of grass at the waterfront for heaven's sake.

Priority 4: Fix the HMPAC and use the event centre in the meantime.

Spend money wisely on assets that are costing money but which can generate income.

Lu Tyree
Tour Director
Rotorua

Be seen on road

The last couple of weeks have seen some seriously foggy mornings. As I drive between Broadlands Road and SH5 towards Rotorua I am struck by the number of vehicles looming out of the gloom without headlights.

Please, people, take care out there. The illumination isn't so you can see where you're going. It's so people can see you coming. We've had enough disasters on the roads lately.

It may be sunny when leaving Rotorua, but on getting to Rainbow Mountain that changes quickly. Let's be a bit more careful.

Vicky Simpson
Reporoa

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