Rotorua residents were heard by the commissioner over three days. Photo:
Rotorua residents were resoundingly against the use of motels as emergency housing at a hearing to decide whether to extend the government's contracts in seven motels for another year.
Independent Commissioner David Hill has spent three days listening to submitters and their concerns.
For some submitters, like Dianna Raukawa Doughty, it was an emotional experience.
"We've been threatened, we've been verbally abused, and we have witnessed child abuse," she told the hearing.
Doughty said the whole experience has been exhausting and she had given up on being heard.
"I wasn't even going to speak today, because I thought what's the point?"
Of the 176 submissions received, only one was in support of the extension.
It came from Peniel Elliot, whose home neighbours several properties which offer emergency housing.
"You know, however flawed it is, [contracted emergency housing] still provides the critical service of temporary shelter for those who need it the most," Elliot said.
She said forcing people out will make social problems worse.
"They would be forced to be living in unsafe conditions, which I believe will [exacerbate] the impact on our city and the wider community, and also make it even more challenging to achieve long term solutions when they are made invisible in our society."
Manuariki Tini spoke on behalf of Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao.
She said her people have been welcoming visitors from around the world for many years.
"We welcome, we greet, we smile, all whilst fearing their car windows may be smashed, or their entire vehicle disappear while on our tour," she said.
There were 176 submissions received on the issue. Photo:
Tini said the iwi's manaaki is being used against it by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.
"They know we don't want [contracted emergency housing] facilities on our doorstep - yet here we are."
David McPherson echoed this cynicism about the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development's actions.
"The ministry has put forward an exit strategy as part of the applications (which is largely a nonsense) and which it has exhibited no move to implement even at this late stage," he said.
Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Nick Whittington said the ministry was well aware of the effect of emergency housing contracts.
"In fact it acknowledges those effects and the stress that comes from participating in a process such as this, and it welcomes that participation."
However, he said some of the evidence given by submitters, for example of people sleeping rough in toilets or carparks, actually pointed to the need for emergency housing.
"That is evidence of unmet housing demand. Almost self-evidently, people camping or rough sleeping... are not in contracted emergency housing," he said.
Hill's job now to was figure out what could be done for Rotorua residents deeply opposed to emergency housing, while not ignoring the needs for some of the city's most vulnerable citizens.
He said he expects to make a decision before Christmas.
