Te Pāti Māori Co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi, has slammed the Rotorua Lakes Council’s treatment of homeless whānau as “inhumane and disgraceful,” following the forced police removal of people sleeping outside the Salvation Army on Amohia Street yesterday.

“Our most vulnerable whānau were woken by police, trespassed like criminals, and had their belongings tipped out, broken, or hauled away like trash. Some were arrested, not for committing a crime, but for being distressed at the violent way they were being treated under cold, heartless council by-laws” said Rawiri Waititi.

“This is not a solution, it’s state-sanctioned cruelty. These whānau are being pushed from footpath to footpath, not into homes. In the harsh winter weather, this kind of treatment is not just unacceptable, it is dangerous.”

Waititi says the scenes in Rotorua are a symptom of a wider national failure.

“Let’s be clear: homelessness is not a lifestyle choice. It is a direct result of government neglect, decades of failed housing policy, and a refusal to see the humanity in our most marginalised people.

“This is a failure of leadership. A failure of compassion. A failure to invest in real solutions. These are whānau without homes- not criminals, not pests, not problems to be swept under the rug.”

Waititi also praised the dedicated community organisations who continue to step up where the state has stepped away.

“Groups like Te Arawa Whānau Ora, Love Soup, The Hub Trust, and the Salvation Army continue to do the work this government and council won’t- delivering kai, care, and compassion with little to no resourcing.

“They lead with aroha, not aggression. Their work is a lifeline, not a PR campaign.”

Te Pāti Māori is demanding urgent action from both local and central government:

• Stop using police to hide poverty. End the criminalisation of homelessness. Fund solutions, not surveillance.
• Build real homes, not just headlines. Expand mental health and addiction services. Reverse benefit cuts that push our whānau onto the street.

“This coalition government is directly responsible for the rise in homelessness. They’ve slashed housing, gutted support, and ignored the cost-of-living crisis.

“It’s time they front up, own the crisis they created, and fund the frontline” concluded Waititi.

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