Rotorua council says it's doing all it can to help the homeless

The Rotorua Lakes Council says it is doing everything it can to help homeless people in the region.

Photo: 123 Rf

A night shelter set up by Tiny Deane from the Visions for a Helping Hand charity closed this week because it did not meet the council's consent rules.

Mr Deane said all he wanted was to help the homeless, having supported 50 people in just five weeks.

Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick said the council was doing all it could to help rough sleepers.

"Right now, that often will mean supporting them with an Emergency Housing Special Needs grant to pay for a motel or other short term accommodation."

The building Mr Deane used was not fit for purpose, she said.

Earlier this month it was revealed shelter workers were forced to shake people awake every half-hour in order to comply with council while waiting for consents.

The council said the centre was created to be a night drop-in centre only, not somewhere people could sleep, which required stricter safety rules.

The council said it is yet to receive consent applications for the centre. But there were other options for the community.

The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) has ensured council that no one in the area needed to be homeless as housing options were available.

Housing was in short supply across the country and Rotorua was no exception.

But in a statement its housing spokesperson Scott Gallacher said they would do what it took to get people housed adequately.

MSD figures show in May about 48 people were sleeping rough in Rotorua.

In March, it supported 40 Rotorua households with emergency housing grants. Its June figures showed an increase.