Suitcases stacked up outside Pukuatua St businesses. Photo / Supplied
Suitcases stacked up outside Pukuatua St businesses. Photo / Supplied
Pukuatua St business owners say there are homeless people camping in their doorways, behaving appallingly and scaring off customers.
One business owner on the Rotorua street claims rough sleepers smoke cannabis bongs in doorways, and she has had to install sprinklers to try to move them along.
The businesses saidwhile they had sympathy for the homeless, they were losing customers because people did not feel safe walking in the area, with belongings stacked up along the street.
Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell and the Rotorua Lakes Council said they will continue to trespass people and were working on long-term solutions.
The Pukuatua St businesses spoken to by the Rotorua Daily Post said their issues had worsened since the council trespassed 10 people two weeks ago from outside the Salvation Army Store on Amohia St.
They said the action only moved them around the corner to their businesses.
Crates N Cues owner Kammy Makker said it was a “really hard time”. He said hundreds of customers had walked away in recent weeks.
He said the homeless camped outside his premises, argued with each other and abused customers. He said they also tried to get money from customers and abused his staff when they tried to use their toilets.
He said the rubbish they left behind, including human waste and homemade bongs from empty cans, was disgusting.
“A lot of tourists walk around all the time and I have seen hundreds turn away and not come into the bar.
“It is sad and I feel sorry for them, but I feel sorry for the business owners too.”
The suitcases stacked up outside Pukuatua St businesses. Photo / Supplied
A Pukuatua St landlord, who didn’t want to be named, said she owned adult entertainment bar Ikandi and was the landlord for neighbouring Pukuatua St organisations Visions of a Helping Hand Charitable Trust and Armourguard. She said the homeless issue was a “significant problem”.
She said they were “urinating and s***ing” in the doorways and the smell was “horrendous”.
She said there were about 20 suitcases stacked up along the street at the weekend.
“We keep trespassing them but they keep coming back.”
She installed sprinklers around the building three weeks ago to act as a deterrent and turned them on several times at night.
“We don’t want to use them. The last thing we want to do is make their situation worse.”
The homeless and their possessions outside the Salvation Army store on Amohia St. Photo / Kelly Makiha
She said they were blocking the doorways, which was a fire hazard, and their rubbish had blocked drains.
“We have watched clients pull up and then drive away.
“One of my staff members opened the door and one of them was lying there with a balaclava on smoking a bong.”
She said the situation made her feel sad.
“Rotorua is actually a beautiful city and has some amazing events going on. There are some really exciting things happening but this is significantly affecting it. We are talking about less than 25 people.”
She said despite being part-Māori, she and her staff were racially abused.
Homeless people camping out on Pukuatua St are causing local businesses grief. Photo / Supplied
“This isn’t a racial debate. If they want to be homeless or if things haven’t worked out for them, there are services out there to help.”
She said she wanted community groups to stop encouraging them to sleep there by delivering hot food and drinks every day.
“If you’re going to feed seagulls they are going to keep returning. That’s why they won’t leave.”
Another Pukuatua St business owner, who also didn’t want to be named, said their foot traffic had dropped in recent weeks.
“Some of them are sleeping in cars at night that pull up. There’s plastic instead of windows on the cars and all sorts.”
The suitcases stacked up outside Pukuatua St businesses. Photo / Supplied
She said it was annoying they were being given free food every day, when some appeared able to afford drugs.
Rotorua Lakes Council destination development group manager Jean-Paul Gaston said council staff would continue to work with the relevant agencies such as the Ministry of Social Development, Te Pokapū, police and health agencies.
He said there had been eight calls from inner-city businesses requesting clean-ups or reporting homeless people. No further rough sleepers had been trespassed since the operation two weeks ago.
She said she was also working with urgency with government agencies and social support services.
“No one should be sleeping on a footpath. I’m aware there has been continuous efforts to connect those sleeping rough in our CBD with support services. This won’t stop andwe’re fortunate there is housing and financial support available in our country.
“But myself and our community have a strong message that illegal, offensive and antisocial behaviour cannot be tolerated here.”
She said she had been in touch with many hard-working local businesses and acknowledged the harm it was causing.
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.
