Homeless housing plan for Fenton St motel abandoned
Ka¯inga Ora has abandoned plans to turn a Fenton St motel into transitional housing for the homeless.
In a statement released to the Rotorua Daily Post, Ka¯inga Ora Bay of Plenty Homes and Communities regional director Darren Toy said the Government’s housing arm had no “ongoing interest” in the Wylie Court motel.
“Ka¯inga Ora — Homes and Communities continues to explore a range of opportunities to increase housing for wha¯nau in Rotorua, but can confirm it has not purchased and has no ongoing interest in the Wylie Court Motel,” Toy said. “Housing opportunities at this site were being explored, however, with agreement not being reached with the property owner, as can happen in any commercial negotiation, we are now no longer progressing this property for potential housing.”
Toy said it was moving forward with plans for 37 permanent public homes at the Ranolf St/malfroy Rd site, and the other future mediumdensity housing development on the corner of this land.
“If permitted under Covid-19 alert levels, work is also planned to start late this month to upgrade the Boulevard Motel to make it suitable for transitional housing for over 80 people while permanent homes are sought, with the first people to move in from late September.
“We have delivered 63 new warm and dry state homes in Rotorua in the past three years, and continue to investigate other purchase, lease, development and partnership housing opportunities.”
Ka¯inga Ora had lodged an application for land use change with the council on July 29 for the Wylie Court site where it intended to house up to 142 people in the motel’s 37 units for transitional housing. Following that news a petition was launched to stop Rotorua Lakes Council from granting resource consent.
The petition called on the council to ensure all decisions around the zoning of Fenton St and surrounding areas were transparent and publicly notified.