Homeless people gather on Pukuatua St outside a facility that offers free showers, washing machines and dryers. Photo / Kelly Makiha
A free laundry, showering and second-hand clothing service for homeless people in Rotorua is set to close in two months because of funding problems.
Some homeless people say they are worried about what will happen when the Pukuatua St site shuts.
They say that while most people don’t like them in the central city, at least they are clean and wearing clean clothes.
Mana Aroha opened six years ago and was the brainchild of Visions of a Helping Hand Charitable Trust’s former chief executive, Tiny Deane.
It offers three showers (including one with disability access), six commercial washing machines, four dryers, and a second-hand store.
It is open Monday to Friday from 9am to midday. The trust’s website says the service supports about 120 rough sleepers by providing donated toiletries, lockers, towels, tea, coffee and, for a koha, second-hand clothing.
The trust had received millions of dollars in Government and charitable funding over the years for the purpose of managing several emergency housing motels.
But those contracts had dwindled during the past few years as emergency housing wound down.
The trust announced with “great sadness” Mana Aroha’s planned closure in June.
“For the past six years, we have delivered this non-contracted service to support some of the most vulnerable members of our community, driven by compassion, commitment, and the belief that everyone deserves dignity, care, and connection.”
The trust said Mana Aroha was a place of kindness, belonging, and hope.
“Unfortunately, without funding, we can no longer financially sustain the service, and this has been an incredibly difficult decision considered over a long period of time. Our greatest concern is for those who rely on this support.”
The trust sought partners, funders, and organisations that might want to support keeping Mana Aroha open through funding or by taking over the service.
Homeless people the Rotorua Daily Post spoke to outside the service were upset.
Many said they relied on the showers and laundry service daily to stay clean on the streets.
One woman, who only wanted to be known as Gene, said she had lived on the streets for many months and regularly used the service.
She was now in backpacker accommodation, but still used the service because she could not afford laundry vending machines.
She feared what would happen if the estimated 30 to 40 people a day who used the showers could not wash themselves or their clothes.
“Do they want a smelly Rotorua or what?”
She said, despite perceptions about the homeless, at least their bodies and clothes were clean.
“They moan about the homeless making a big mess, but the homeless are doing their best to keep the city clean. This is the only facility the homeless has as a go-to. If they take this away, they have got nothing.”
Salvation Army community ministries manager Darnielle Hoods said the closure would have a “real impact” on vulnerable people.
“Services like this are not just about showers or clean clothes. They are about dignity, connection, and trust. When services close, people don’t disappear; they just become less visible and more vulnerable. This should be concerning for us.”
She said such facilities were often the first step toward deeper support, such as housing and wellbeing.
“Without them, people can become more isolated, and pressure shifts on to other already stretched services, and if we remove the places that hold people with care, that pressure will show up elsewhere.”
Rotorua retailer Mike Steiner, who owns nearby Steiners – Interiors by Reputation, said he did not want the service to close.
This was despite homeless people loitering, sleeping and defecating near his store.
He said the homeless might move on from the central city as a result, but it was not solving the overall problem.
“All we are doing is shifting people from pillar to post. We are not looking at a solution for the problem.”
Steiner said it was a complex situation.
“I drive past at night and see them all sleeping in the doorways, in my doorways, and it’s upsetting and intimidating ... at least there was a place they could clean themselves and shower.”
Deane stepped aside last October when contracted emergency housing wound down.
He came under fire in 2024 when his security business was fined $1750 after being found guilty of misconduct.
The Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority criticised Deane for being the Visions of a Helping Hand chief executive and sole director of a company that employed up to 50 security guards who worked at the motels.
In announcing Deane’s departure, the trust’s website said Deane quietly cared for his team, always looking after the 134 staff members who made up Visions of a Helping Hand over the years.
“Through his leadership, thousands of people found more than just shelter – they found hope, support, and someone who believed in them."
The website said that as the trust prepared to close its last contracted emergency housing motel in December, Deane felt “it’s time”.
“My job is done. It’s time for me to go back to my real life,” Deane said in the website’s statement.
The Rotorua Daily Post has been unable to contact Deane for this article.
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.