Megan Woods speaks on emergency housing in Rotorua.
KEY POINTS:
The Government is to directly contract motels for emergency accommodation
Wrap-around social support services for those in emergency accommodation are to be provided
The grouping of cohorts like families and tamariki in particular motels separate from other groups is to take place
A one-stop Housing Hub for access to servicesand support is to be established
Families trapped in Rotorua emergency housing motels are thrilled with the news the Government is making urgent moves to keep them safer. But they say the Government needs more houses being built rather than making the current situation better. Kelly Makiha visited families in Rotorua's motels for their reaction.
Sian Robb and Bill Astle.
Sian Robb and Bill Astle
Sian Robb and her partner, Bill Astle, and 2-year-old child have been living in emergency housing since September. She said the motel they were at previously had a pool and was better for children than the one they are at now, but for other reasons, they had to move.
Robb said the Government's announcement was a good idea for children.
"The motels are okay as long as you have got good people around you too. You don't want people with bad vibes."
Brooke Harris.
Brooke Harris
Brooke Harris, her partner and their two children, aged 1 and 2, have been living in the same emergency housing motel for just over a year. They have another baby on the way, which came as a surprise.
"No one would plan a child in this situation. I just feel so sorry for the kids suffering and now I'm going to have a newborn in here."
She said the Government's announcement was great to a point, but houses were the solution.
"It's good to keep the place safe for the kids because you don't know what is going to happen around here. You have to keep the kids inside because you don't know who is coming in and out of here. It's stressful, depressing and not very nice."
She said the time they had been at the motel had definitely taken its toll on her children.
"I have to growl my kids for invading other people's space but they're just being kids but it's so hard having to be hard on them."
Harris said she looked forward to the day when her children could get to know what it's like living in a real house.
Parehuia Temepo.
Parehuia Temepo
Parehuia Temepo, her partner and their four children aged 13, 7, 4 and 1 have been living cramped in a motel unit since November.
When Temepo's Murupara father died, they moved from Christchurch to sort out his affairs, and thought it would be easy to find a rental. But seven months later they are still in emergency housing.
She said without the support of the children's father, who was unable to work, things would have been harder.
She said while the Government's announcement was great in the short term, she would have preferred all the money spent on emergency housing be put towards building houses.
When asked if they were doing okay, she said: "No, but it's a roof over our heads".
