Rotorua mum ‘trapped in motel’ can’t have all her kids stay overnight due to occupancy rates

Most nights, Pareuruora Rangirangi must make the heartbreaking choice of which of her kids must go and stay somewhere else. This is so the whānau of five does not exceed the four-person overnight occupancy limit in their one-bedroom Rotorua motel unit. The mum speaks to senior reporter Carmen Hall about the “harsh realities of life trapped in a motel” for her and her children, what it would mean to them to find a rental, and how she keeps her spirits up through it all.

Every morning Pareuruora Rangirangi repeats some of the 11 affirmations stuck on the bedroom mirror in the emergency motel where she lives with her children.

They include “Step your game up, be proud of you!” “Conquer something each day, REFLECT” and, “Your babies are watching you, do your best”.

Sitting on one of two single beds in the lounge area of her one-bedroom Rotorua unit, Rangirangi is determined to stay upbeat and is grateful for the roof over her head.

Still, there are days when she feels like a bad mother who has let her children down and asks herself, “What have I done?”

She brushes tears from her cheek and apologises for getting emotional.

Rangirangi had three children staying at the motel, which has a room occupancy rate of four. When her whāngai daughter or stepson wanted to stay overnight they couldn’t and she relied on her mother to help with care arrangements.

“They can’t all be together, which is heartbreaking. The children are shared between the motel and their grandparents.”

This is their fifth motel room since becoming homeless on April 16 when Rangirangi’s landlord of two years moved back in.

Struggling to find another rental, she fears the odds are against her and it may be impossible for her to afford a private rental despite recently being shortlisted.

She likens her search for a home to a “lucky dip” because landlords and property managers have so many tenant options.

Rotorua rentals listed on Trade Me in July were down 49 per cent on the previous year, as the average weekly rent rose $5, reflecting the uphill battle some families face.

Pareuruora Rangirangi likes to stay positive despite living in a motel. Photo / Andrew Warner

Rangirangi is on the waiting list for a state home but says finding somewhere to live “is daunting and can really ruin your spirit”.

“I feel stuck.”

One room at another motel was larger but she says they moved out because “the carpet stunk and smelt like wet dog and everyone got sick”.

Shifting from room to room was unsettling and she says she is reluctant to go through that again, even after items including an iPhone and Alexa smart device were stolen from their room.

She said her children, aged 13, 11, 7 and 8 months, had to grow up quickly and deal with the “harsh realities of life trapped in a motel”.

“When I see them decline in their mental health I start to feel bad and need to change it up. They can’t have their own space or go outside and there is nowhere to play. It’s just those basic fundamentals of having your own home that’s not something that you can do here.

“They fight and get in each other’s faces and at times it’s hard for them to tolerate each other. On a good day, it still tears us apart … we are on tenterhooks.”

Their room has a two-ring hob for cooking and a small air fryer on the table. Groceries are neatly stacked onto two shelves.

The space is spotless and made more homely with pot plants as well as schedules and karakia taped to the wall.

Pareuruora Rangirangi has been living in a motel with her children since April. Photo / Andrew Warner

She lives at a motel run by Visions of a Helping Hand. There is a security guard and barrier arms at the entrance and signs saying “no visitors allowed” and “no kids in the office”. Those granted permission to enter must sign in and out.

Her Visions social worker is “beautiful and really supportive” but Rangirangi does not recommend motel living to anyone and encourages others in that situation to try their utmost to better themselves.

Until June, Rangirangi worked as a Covid health supervisor but took redundancy. She was involved with the Kimiora Community Trust and the Sisterhood Empowerment at Destiny Church.

She has also taken the plunge and entered the Miss Rotorua pageant, which has been “transformational”.

Taking pride in her appearance has helped her mental health and wellbeing.

“Me and my kids go op-shopping for fun because when you dress better you feel better. I tell my kids if you don’t feel good, have a shower and make yourselves look good because it will help transform how you feel on the inside out.”

Finding a home would mean her broken family could be put back together again.

Visions of a Helping Hand said in a statement following a consent waiver it has catered to Pare’s needs and whānau make-up in line with her referral from Te Pokapū, the community housing hub helping to support and place people in homes, with a kaupapa Māori-based approach.

The stolen items were reported to police and Visions is co-operating with the investigation.

Its internal investigation was inconclusive but he says Visions has taken steps to prevent repeats, such as not allowing anyone in Rangirangi’s room and having any maintenance workers supervised.

The limit of four people is due to the available beds in the unit.

Regarding complaints about the larger unit, he says professional checks and carpet sample testing found no dampness. Visions has offered to get the carpet professionally cleaned again but Rangirangi opted not to move back in.

“We are happy to work with Pare to identify more appropriate accommodation should her circumstances change. If we do not have appropriate capacity, then Pare can be referred back to Te Pokapū for assessment and placement into another facility.”

Visiona said the six motels it manages are close to capacity with 416 people.

From July 2021 to April this year, 167 client families transitioned into long-term accommodation, including state housing, and 83 into transitional housing.

“If we did not have the motels, whānau with tamariki – including newborns – the elderly, those with disabilities and medical conditions, would be living in garages, overcrowded housing (couch surfing), or possibly in cabins with no electricity, heating and or running water. We would also see the return of many of them living in their cars as seen prior to the Covid pandemic.”

In some areas, Visons was starting to see this happening again. “This would impact on all aspects of their wellbeing.”

Providing security is a requirement of its contracts with state agencies.

Client safety is paramount and the no-visitors policy helps to prevent violence, including domestic violence, and keep drugs and alcohol out of the motels.

“We aim to provide a safe environment whilst families are in our care, until we are able to support them into long-term sustainable housing.”

Visions also offers training and employment support, healthy snacks, a weekly barbeque, a children’s holiday programme and dedicated social service staff to its clients in motels.

Ministry for Social Development regional commissioner Graham Allpress says Rangirangi has been assessed for social housing and is on the housing register with a priority rating of A17. The maximum rating is A20.

A Ministry for Housing and Urban Development (HUD) spokesman says Visions of a Helping Hand will support Rangirangi and her children to be re-triaged through Te Pokapū to find a solution that meets their current needs.

The Rotorua Temporary Housing Dashboard shows that, in July, 25 motels were used for temporary housing, down from 27 in June. There were 375 adults in motels and 324 children in July.

HUD contracts providers to offer wraparound support to emergency housing clients, including helping them find sustainable housing solutions. Other support services depend on client needs and can include mental health referrals, budgeting training, the Ready-to-Rent programme, programmes for children and more.

A Kāinga Ora spokeswoman says Rotorua has 764 public housing homes and about 110 more in the works up to next June. .

There were 2372 people on the housing register in the Bay of Plenty in June, compared with 2366 in March.

Carmen Hall is a news director for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post, covering business and general news. She has been a Voyager Media Awards winner and a journalist for 25 years.