The front page of the Daily Post on Tuesday 16th June 2020 makes staggering reading.

I had previously estimated the cost of the homeless on RDRR Facebook page would be

between $17M and $20M, based on last year’s figures and the increased demand.

In the year to March 2020 – the government spent $16M in Rotorua, then add the

additional seven motel placements due to Covid-19 crisis of $1.89M and the total

is $17.89M. There needs to be a “collaborate to eliminate” solution.

Finland started by scrapping hostels and shelters that had been providing short-term

respite for homeless people. Each local agency or programme holds a small piece of

the solution, but it needs someone to see the bigger picture and know how all the

pieces fit together. Finland decided to make the housing unconditional. To say look,

you don’t need to solve your problems before you get a home. Instead, a home should be

a secure foundation that makes it easier to solve your problems. Unorthodox?

Maybe its time to “Focus on the solution, not the problem” – Jim Rohn.

Tracey McLeod