"Damages to properties are classified and paid out as 'other emergency grants'," - a fund in which payments aren't specifically tagged to damage or loss in emergency housing. In the last three months of 2020 emergency housing grants on their own cost about $82.5m for 8500 clients. Willis says she has been told "in addition to the very high rates motels are charging for emergency housing by the night, they are also claiming large amounts of money for damages that are done by emergency housing clients". I think that's unacceptable, because taxpayers have a right to know what the total cost of emergency housing, is not just the nightly rate," she says. "And if one of the major drivers of cost in emergency housing are the damages that have been paid out to motels, why wouldn't you monitor that?"

Source: Otago Daily Times April 28, 2021 21:00 UTC