The emergency housing fiasco in Rotorua

The Herald reported:

The school, nestled in the heart of Fenton St on the corner of Tilsey St, caters for up to 45 children aged 5 to 13. Today was the first time its representatives had spoken publicly about their plight since the area became a hub for emergency housing.

The school’s property manager Roger Marshall, principal Lanea Strickland and former board chairwoman and current board member Victoria Finch listed incidents that had left the staff and students fearful and stressed.

The school has spent $70,000 on security fencing – money it had set aside for a new adventure playground to replace one that rotted and was destroyed. Right now, the children don’t have an adventure playground, they said.

Since emergency housing proliferated, Marshall said the school had kept record of more than 60 incidents of either abuse, assault, vandalism or other crime. There were none in the previous decades.

So from no incidents over ten years to 60 incidents in the last two to three years. Well done Labour.