‘Rat hole not worth a dollar’ sparks probe
An emergency housing provider ‘‘stocktake’’ has been ordered by the Government after an Auckland motel received millions in taxpayer funds despite not having a building code of compliance, and allegations of unsanitary conditions.
But while Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni says her ministry will look into the issue, an Auckland advocacy group believes motel monitoring needs to be ramped up in general.
Sepuloni broke her silence yesterday, three days after a Stuff investigation raised serious questions about the suitability and level of service provided by the Auckland Astro Motel in O¯ ta¯huhu.
The motel has been dubbed a ‘‘rat hole not worth a dollar’’ by some who have stayed there. Yet it received $3.1 million in taxpayer funding between October 2016 and June 2018 – $1m more than any other emergency housing provider in the country.
As well as complaints about unsanitary conditions, Stuff’s inquiries also revealed the motel was never signed off as being compliant with the building code – an offence under the Building Act.
The 30-unit motel, which is owned by Emergency Services Ltd, has been accused by welfare advocates of profiting from the country’s housing crisis.
Yesterday, Sepuloni admitted she had concerns about the Astro and, more broadly, about the quality of accommodation available. ‘‘I have spoken to [the Ministry of Social Development] who are looking into that and doing a bit of a stocktake on emergency housing,’’ she said at Parliament.
Speaking on Monday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she expected officials to investigate conditions at the Astro.
‘‘Obviously, under those conditions and given the amount of taxpayer money, I would expect officials to be looking into those conditions.’’