Official Information Request - Housing Taskforce

Sent: Friday, 30 September 2022 1:50 pm
Subject: Official Information request - Housing Taskforce

I refer to your online Official Information request of 19 September 2022 requesting:

• Any documents, communications or work completed by the Rotorua Housing Taskforce since 24 November 2021
• The number of Council staff assigned and any resources assigned to the Rotorua Housing Taskforce.
  

The DCE District Development and DCE Community Wellbeing have taken part in the various hui of the Taskforce, along with the Director Thriving Communities. Participation in the Taskforce is undertaken as part of their normal business activities. No resources, apart from the time involved by the above staff, has been assigned to the Taskforce.

As noted on Council’s website the Taskforce (Te Rākau Taumatua) was established in March 2021 to develop immediate short term solutions to improve the environment for whanau in emergency housing and the wider community. The Taskforce developed a number of actions approved by Ministers Megan Woods and Carmel Sepuloni in May 2021:

• Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga – Ministry of Housing and Urban Development contracting suitable motels specifically for emergency accommodation with an initial focus on whānau with children.
• Wrap-around social support services for whānau and children in contracted accommodation, and improved support for people in motels with emergency housing grants.
• A new community-led housing hub – Te Pokapū – including collective social services, iwi and agencies to holistically support and place people in need of housing
• Short-to-medium term housing supply solutions.

Once the actions were approved by Ministers Woods and Sepuloni, the role of the Taskforce changed from developing the initial actions to coordinating their delivery. Since May 2021 the Taskforce has continued to work towards overseeing the delivery of the actions.

Council continues to provide updates on its projects and activities around emergency housing and options for enabling short to medium term housing to various committee/council meetings, along with providing updates on its website. Below are links to the committee/council agendas and news/media enquiries for 2022:

Agenda/Minutes and Presentation to Strategy Policy & Finance Committee – 10 February 2022 – Housing and business capacity assessment, housing shortfalls and housing bottom lines

Presentation to Council meeting – 28 April 2022 – Emergency Housing update

Agenda/Minutes and Presentation to Strategy Policy & Finance Committee – 12 May 2022 – Proposal for the Revocation and Disposal of Identified Reserves for Housing

Agenda/Minutes and Presentation to Council meeting – 4 August 2022 – Housing for everyone (Plan Change 9), Approval for Notification

Agenda/Minutes and Presentation to Strategy Policy & Finance Committee – 11 August 2022 – Deliberations and Recommendations on the Proposal for the Revocation and Disposal of Identified Reserves

Presentation to Operations & Monitoring Committee – 5 May 2022 – District Development update

Presentation to Operations & Monitoring Committee – 2 June 2022 – Land options for housing

Presentation to Operations & Monitoring Committee from Darren Toy, Kāinga Ora – 2 June 2022 – Kāinga Ora – Presentation 02.06.22 – Darren Toy

Presentation to Operations & Monitoring Committee – 7 July 2022 – House Builds, Highlights and Issues

News – 10 February 2022 – From the Strategy Policy and Finance Committee – Housing and Business Capacity Assessment

News – 24 February 2022 – Assessment supports actions underway to enable more housing (Rotorua Housing and Business Assessment)

Official Information Request – 15 March 2022 – correspondence with Ministers

News – 15 March 2022 – Government announcement about inclusion of Rotorua in Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Act

Media Enquiry – 16 March 2022 – Rotorua’s inclusion in housing supply legislation (RMA (Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Act

Media Enquiry – 21 March 2022 – Mayor Chadwick’s letters to MSD Minister about emergency housing concerns

News – 5 May 2022 – Council application to Government fund successful

News – 10 May 2022 – Committee considers proposal to use excess reserve sites for housing

News – 16 May 2022 – Rotorua for Tomorrow – housing information series

Media Enquiry – 24 May 2022 – Council’s legal action against emergency housing motels

News – 25 May 2022 – Action filed against 9 emergency housing operators

Media Enquiry – 26 May 2022 – Consents for MHUD-contracted emergency housing motels

News – 3 June 2022 – Drop-in Session – Housing Plan Change and Future Development Strategy

Media Enquiry – 14 June 2022 – Court action against emergency housing providers / Resource consents process for MHUD-contracted motels

Media Enquiry – 16 June 2022 – Compliance re motels providing emergency housing

Media Enquiry – 17 June 2022 – Resource consents process for MHUD-contracted motels

Media Enquiry – 27 June 2022 – Emergency housing and Rotorua in general

Media Enquiry – 30 June 2022 – Emergency housing providers

News – 21 July 2022 – RLC receives almost $85m from Govt Infrastructure Acceleration Fund

Media Enquiry – 21 July 2022 - $84m Infrastructure Acceleration Fund allocation for Rotorua

News – 2 August 2022 – On the Agenda (plan change to enable greater housing choice and supply for Rotorua)

News – 4 August 2022 – Council approves notification and consultation of Housing for Everyone

News – 6 August 2022 – Public notice for Contracted Emergency Housing

News – 22 August 2022 – Housing for Everyone – Plan Change open for submissions

Media Enquiry – 30 August 2022 – Four Canoes, and consenting process for MHUD-contracted motels

Media Enquiry – 31 August 2022 – Four Canoes

Media Enquiry – 5 September 2022 – Emergency housing

Also for your information are links to various Official Information requests which relate to the Infrastructure Acceleration Fund funding to support short to medium term housing in the district:

Official Information Request – 17 January and 16 February 2022 – Infrastructure Acceleration Fund

Official Information Request – 25 July 2022 – Appendix 40A from IAF application

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision. The Ombudsman’s Office can be contacted by calling 0800 802 602, emailing info@ombudsman.parliament.nz, online at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz, or by post to The Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143

Publication of responses to LGOIMA requests

Please note: Our LGOIMA responses may be published on the Rotorua Lakes Council website after they have been responded to, with requesters’ personal details withheld. If you have any concerns about this please contact the Council on info@rotorualc.nz.

Regards