Rotorua emergency housing: Visions of a Helping Hand Trust supporting more than 2000 families

A Rotorua charity helping homeless people is supporting more than 20 times as many families as it was before the first Covid-19 lockdown and its annual revenue has increased by more than $2 million.

Visions of a Helping Hand Charitable Trust's most recently published annual report, filed with the New Zealand Charities Services at the end of September 2021, showed the number of families the charity served increased from 132 families to 1588 in the year to March 2021. This included 1666 children, up from 101.

While the trust's 2022 report is not yet available, in a statement provided to the Rotorua Daily Post, the trust said it had supported 2809 families in the year to March 2022 including 3284 children - an overall increase of more than 20 times the trust's service output before the Covid-19 pandemic.

New Zealand went into alert level 4 lockdown at 11.59pm on March 25, 2020.

Visions of a Helping Hand Charitable Trust board chairman Eruera Maxted said the trust supported families with complex needs.

"Many of our whānau come from complex and sometimes difficult backgrounds; their prior life experience means it is sometimes difficult for them to adjust to the charitable trust's protocols and it is part of the charitable trust's ongoing mahi to help our whānau on this learning journey."

The annual report also showed the financial and service performance of the trust for the financial years ending March 31, 2021 and 2020.

The trust's annual revenue increased by more than $2 million - from $1.126m at the end of March 2020 to $3.737m by March 2021.

These figures meant the trust moved from about an $86,000 deficit to a $416,000 surplus.

Visions of a Helping Hand charitable trust supported 1588 families in the year ending March 31, 2021. Photo / Maryana Garcia

The trust's largest source of revenue was "MSD - Service Delivery Fee" - $2.489m in 2021 and $180,596 in 2020.

MSD also provided $25,940 to the trust's night shelter in 2021.

The trust's largest expenses for 2021 were "volunteer and employee-related costs" at $1.945m and "costs related to providing goods or service" at $1.316m.

In 2020, volunteer and employee-related costs were listed at $716,070 while costs related to providing goods or service came to $554,450.

A Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga Ministry of Housing and Urban Development spokesperson said MHUD has given the trust more than $15m between July 1, 2020, and July 1, 2022.

This included $6,395,026 for "Rotorua contracted emergency housing support services".

The spokesperson did not make any comments to accompany the information.

The trust's performance report for the year ending March 31, 2022, is due to be filed with the New Zealand Charities Commission at the end of this month.

When asked to estimate the cost of supporting one family for a year, Maxted said that figure was "unquantifiable" due to the number of members in a whānau, complexities, supports and numerous other considerations.

Maxted said the trust employed 47 staff.

"They all give of their time over and above their expected employment," Maxted said.

"Visions would not be what it is without the amazing staff and the numerous volunteers who have generously supported the kaupapa."

The report comes as extensive reporting by the Rotorua Daily Post on Rotorua's emergency housing situation resulted in TVNZ's Sunday Programme, Golden Mile and calls for an official inquiry into emergency housing.

National Party housing spokesman Chris Bishop is one of those calling for an inquiry into emergency housing in Rotorua. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Ministry of Social Development group general manager housing Karen Hocking said MSD had a contract with Visions of a Helping Hand to provide intensive support to people staying in emergency housing in Rotorua.

"For the period from November 2021 to January 2023 the value of the contract is $1.750m," Hocking told the Rotorua Daily Post.

"[The trust] has had two recent contracts relating to provider capability to a total value of $25,500 and a Community Awareness and Preparedness Grant Fund of $5000.

"The latter grant was available for community support during the first Covid-19 lockdown."