Response to helping Rotorua's homeless 'overwhelming'

Tiny Deane and his partner, Lynley McMillan, said the public meeting was a great success. Photo/File

A public meeting last night about a new initiative to house Rotorua's homeless was a "huge success", says the project leader.

Tiny Deane, who is setting up a house and a drop in centre for the city's homeless, said the meeting was attended by politicians and a number of members of the public - those with homes, and those without.

"It was a huge success."

Mr Deane said he had been inundated with offers of help, money, furniture and support since the endeavour was reported in the Rotorua Daily Post yesterday.

"It's just been overwhelming, eh. What I represent, and I don't want to get anyone wrong - everything I do is in the best interests of the homeless ... If it's not, I won't even consider it."

Mr Deane was also in the process of opening a second-hand store in September with all the proceeds going toward the homeless. He had already been gifted tens of thousands of dollars of second-hand stock to sell.

He said he wants everything - the home, the drop-in centre, and the second-hand store - up and running on October 1.

"Everything's sort of gelling. It's coming to fruition."

Moira Lawler, chief executive of Lifewise, said the passion and generosity of ordinary New Zealanders, including Mr Deane, was astounding.

"It's completely awesome. We do find this up and down the country: ordinary New Zealanders have had enough with the homelessness debate and they want to act and want something to happen," Ms Lawler said.

Chief executive of Lifewise, Moira Lawler, said ordinary New Zealanders were standing up to end homelessness. Photo/File

"I think there is a growing concern in Rotorua about homelessness, so it's really great to see the community respond."

Ms Lawler said the long-term goal was to help those in temporary housing into permanent housing.

"In our view that's one of the key things for the whole system to respond to - how do we get more housing on the ground, how do we make it affordable, how do we get people who need housing into it.

"It's useful for local responses to be part of a joined-up strategy. Rotorua has a chance to be really effective, because of its scale and because of the really close relationships. The agencies know each other, people know each other.

"I think there's a real opportunity in Rotorua to really deal with homelessness effectively."