Rotorua needs to remove "barriers to progress" and build more houses "rapidly" if it's to get on top of its homeless crisis, according to the city's business sector leader.
Rotorua Chamber of Commerce chief executive Bryce Heard made his comments when asked about the cost of emergency housing in thecity.
"It seems to me that if we address the underlying reasons for housing shortages – things like wastewater, sewerage, roading and consenting, we will remove one of the key barriers to progress."
The council said it was motivated to increase Rotorua's housing and was doing a raft of things to make that happen. It said there were often assumptions the council was the cause of delays in housing development but there were many reasons.
Heard, who was asked to comment on the amount of money being spent on emergency housing following the release of figures that showed the Government spent $5 million in Rotorua in the three months to June, said emergency housing was a complex and controversial issue.
However, he said putting people in motels was, in his view, just "palliative care".
"Views within the community are divided on many aspects of the subject. How do we help people who need our help without attracting more of the problem to our city and without creating problems for the rest of the community?"
He said mixing homeless and tourists together was not a sustainable solution.
"I think we need solutions that address the underlying causes of homelessness. Just putting people into temporary accommodation seems like palliative care, not a long-term solution."
He said Rotorua needed more homes and more jobs and a change of thinking to long-term solutions.
"It seems to me that if we address the underlying reasons for housing shortages – things like wastewater, sewerage, roading and consenting, we will remove one of the key barriers to progress."
He said funds used for those "palliative" solutions then needed to go toward "rapidly" building affordable housing.
He said those moves would create jobs for infrastructural contractors and tradespeople plus homes for the homeless.
"Also, let's not get too worried about creating subdivisions where state-type housing prevails. That is a necessary part of the solution. Are we so preoccupied with the immediate issues and the detail, that we are taking our eye off the bigger picture?"
Rotorua Lakes Council strategy group manager Jean-Paul Gaston. Photo / File
Council strategy group manager Jean-Paul Gaston said the council was focused on the big picture and motivated to get more housing in Rotorua.
"We have every reason to facilitate development and that's what we are trying to do."
Gaston said there were often assumptions the council delayed housing developments.
"The things that impact on development are complex and each case is different, with its own unique challenges and issues to overcome and work through."
He said the housing shortage couldn't be solved overnight and the city needed more housing of all types to meet the needs of the community.
"Emergency housing has never been seen as a long-term solution and Rotorua's housing strategy seeks to address our local housing shortage from multiple aspects with multiple parties committed to a wide variety of actions."
He said that included the council investing in infrastructure, district plan changes and locality planning to enable housing and working with others to ensure homes were healthy.
He said it was the council also wanted to create connected, safe, resilient communities rather than just build houses.
Gaston listed the council work that was under way that related to housing. It included the housing strategy; investing in infrastructure upgrades such as wastewater, roading and stormwater; progressing a District Plan Change to facilitate housing at Pukehangi; securing government funding for roading and stormwater upgrades to support proposed housing at Wharenui; working with Tatau Pounamu Collective on an eastside plan; long-term infrastructure planning; an action plan relating to climate and Healthy Homes initiative.
Mayor's call for urgent action
Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick said at the end of last month she was calling an urgent meeting to "get the facts on the table" about residents' concerns around emergency housing.
In response to questions about whether the meeting had taken place, Chadwick said in a statement she had had a discussion with leaders from government departments about a better response in Rotorua.
Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick. Photo / File
"There is a willingness to achieve a more collaborative response to local issues and all are currently working on that with urgency."
She said she was concerned about the social issues people were experiencing around emergency housing locations.
"We are all concerned about the experiences people are highlighting and my expectation is that safety is a priority."
She said the situation highlighted the need for a better way to co-ordinate all the government agencies.
"Rotorua should not be seen as the answer to other centre's homelessness problems. We remain focused on local issues including the need for more housing, which is being addressed, in partnership, through our housing strategy."
