Rotorua's social housing stock barely meeting demand

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Demand for social housing in Rotorua has more than doubled in the past three years, and a government initiative to increase housing stock is barely meeting demand.

Figures released by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) showed 103 people were on the social housing register in the district at the end of June, but one local advocate for the needy says the real number could be as many as three times that amount.

In 2014 during the same quarter, only 40 people were on the list, and the number has fluctuated since, before jumping sharply between March and June this year.

In April, the Government announced 117 more social and transitional houses were to be set up in Rotorua over the next three years - a mix of new builds and newly acquired rental properties.

The plan was announced by Associate Housing Minister Alfred Ngaro who said 37 transitional houses would be available by the end of the year and 80 new social housing properties would become available over the next three years.

This would be a 13 per cent increase on the 647 social houses in Rotorua.

Rotorua's Kuirau Park Motor Lodge shift manager Summer Singh said she had about 20 people a week coming through the lodge for emergency housing.

"It definitely has risen. Last year we never used to take as many.

"It's definitely sad because obviously there's a shortage of houses, that's the reason why they're all coming in. You see families, people with kids."

One woman had given birth to her child at the lodge then stayed for several weeks with her newborn before a local charity helped her into a house.

"She was very worried, the mum."

The influx had been fine during the quiet winter months, but Ms Singh said she didn't know where people needing emergency housing would stay once the season started to pick up.

"Once we have our summer season, there's pretty much no way we'll be able to take them."

Social Housing Minister Amy Adams said officials were keeping a "close eye" on demand in Rotorua, which she acknowledged was a high demand area.

"If it increases, we'll adjust the purchasing strategy accordingly."

An updated purchasing strategy was scheduled for release later this year, at which point the Government would consider the information and whether extra social housing places than is currently planned are needed, and if so where, Ms Adams said.

Rotorua deputy mayor Dave Donaldson said the council wanted to work with the Government to provide social housing, "but we're not the experts in the field and we don't have the funds or resources to buy or build social housing".

"It is in our view appropriate that that's a government-led approach through MSD and it's appropriate it's funded through taxes rather than rates income."

He would not be drawn on whether he thought Government was doing enough to provide social housing in Rotorua, but said he was pleased to see a renewed interest in housing issues generally this election.

The council was focusing on consenting new builds and reinvigorating neighbourhoods in order to offer more housing options, Mr Donaldson said.

"We have identified some of our suburbs are ripe for regeneration, such as Western Heights, Fordlands and parts of Owhata."

The council was aiming to incentivise landlords to fix up or build new homes in those areas by fixing up footpaths and sprucing up parks.

"That makes it more attractive to subdivide off a property and put an affordable home on the property for an investor."