Help coming for town’s homeless
LUKE KIRKEBY
South Waikato Mayor Jenny Shattock said people moving to Tokoroa had put a lot of pressure on accommodation and rentals are very hard to find.
‘‘Landlords are selling their rentals because of the increase in values and their tenants are having to move out; some with nowhere to go.’’
‘‘I think that providing a shelter is something that we need to do as a caring community, which we are. Our winters can be freezing and I don’t want anyone to die in the cold,’’ she said.
Tokoroa Police Senior Sergeant Jason Henderson said often people sleeping rough were from out of town.
‘‘The thing with homeless people is they will go far and wide so they can find shelter or whatever,’’ he said.
‘‘Last week for example we arrested two homeless people who were from Auckland where they had committed serious offences. The reason they were here was because they used to have family living in the South Waikato so they came looking for them.’’
If done right Henderson said the shelter had the potential to be a good thing for Tokoroa.