April 11, 2023
Cyclone displaces 2200 households
The head of the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment’s temporary accommodation service says iwi and community agencies should also be looking at how they can help to house whānau in the event of future weather-related disasters.
Steve Watson says the service is currently supporting 2205 households across the North Island, including 407 in Tāmaki Makaurau, and it’s looking for sites for 22 portable cabins for people who may not be able to get back into their flood or slip-damaged homes for the medium to long term.
He says this year’s events has highlighted the need to be able to stand up an accommodation safety net quickly both inside and outside government.
“We’re seeing some really good results across the motu where iwi and hapū and local agencies in the community have responded and this should be a community-led response and it is a wise decision for any community agency or iwi to be ready for things like this, to protect their whānau,” Mr Watson says.
He says the current challenge is unprecedented for the temporary accommodation service.