The Government is defending its decision to charge those staying in motels as emergency housing rent. ROSA WOODS/STUFF Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the motel sector had asked the Government to fix the "anomaly". Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern people in the sector had raised "the anomaly" with her that tenants in emergency motel stays didn't pay but public housing and transitional housing tenants did. Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni said she was aware of some tenants for whom the cost difference between public housing and motel stays was a barrier for them moving on from motel stays. "No-one is going to be forced out of emergency housing if there is nowhere for them to go on to."

Source: Stuff February 13, 2020 02:37 UTC