Luke Kirkness: Beachfront motel owners should be praised around emergency housing

Owners of a beachfront motel in Mount Maunganui are housing emergency housing tenants. Photo / George Novak

Opinion:

There are still people in the world who want to improve the lives of others, despite what we might read about online or in newspapers, hear on the radio or watch on television.

I can think of two perfect examples of this in the Bay of Plenty: Aroha Boutique in Rotorua and the Aqua Beachfront Motel in Tauranga.

Yesterday, the Rotorua Daily Post reported on Aroha Boutique which has been a free service for hundreds of local families supplying homeware, clothing and furniture.

It's the brainchild of a local police officer, constable Viv Sutton, who starting collecting items to pass on to those struggling through the economic fallout of Covid-19.

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I've only been in the region for a few months and wasn't aware of the service but it warmed my heart to hear about the work Sutton and other volunteers had been doing.

On a sombre note, Aroha Boutique is in dire need of support and is at risk of folding if it can't find funding or free premises to operate out of.

Constable Viv Sutton and volunteer Atapo Huriwai at the Aroha Boutique storage lock-up. Photo / Kelly Makiha

Elsewhere, in Tauranga, the Bay of Plenty Times this week reported the owners of a beachfront Marine Parade motel in Mount Maunganui were housing emergency housing tenants.

There are seven emergency housing households at the address which boasts spectacular views of the beach, ocean and Mauao, the Ministry of Social Development confirmed.

One of the tenants is a solo mother, Chanel Waho, who lives there with her two toddlers. She says being able to live there is a "blessing" after coming ''from the gutter''.

In June, there were 624 children in emergency housing in the Bay of Plenty.

It's not pleasant to think about the things they must witness or the challenges their parents or caregivers face.

In their bid to escape violent partners, women have been forced to escort to pay the bills.

Elsewhere, local social service providers have described emergency housing residents being treated "almost like cattle".

Just this weekend, a Rotorua mother decided she and her three children were moving to Australia after being surrounded by gang and drug activity while in emergency housing.

The view from the Marine Parade property with emergency housing tenants. Photo / George Novak

I have no doubt there are going to be people who take offence to those people living in the Mount Maunganui beachfront motel but where else would they go?

Waho says she feels judged by people who walk past and see her there.

"They look us up and down, you can tell the energy of a lot of people, and you can tell who is judgemental and who is not worried," she said.

"They'll look at the house and then look at you like - how does she afford that?"

I can't imagine anyone who could afford their own place would choose to live in emergency housing, especially considering some of the stories we report on.

We might be in the Bay of Plenty but there are plenty of problems in the Bay and some people are actually doing something about it.

People like the motel owners and the Suttons of the world need to be celebrated and imitated — we need more people like them around.

These are people who can recognise their advantages in life and use them to look after others who really need a helping hand.