Waiariki MP Rawiri Waititi says Kāinga Ora 'has some answering to do” over vacant houses in Rotorua's troubled Tania Cr, which he believes are contributing to its issues.

Waititi understands the majority of Kāinga Ora houses on the street are empty, which he believes makes it 'the perfect place for congregation of undesirables”.

Kāinga Ora says there are four empty homes on the Western Heights street, all of them about to be demolished to make way for seven new homes.

Last week Local Democracy Reporting revealed some residents were feeling unsafe in their own homes after an escalation of anti-social behaviour and street racing, including a riot on Waitangi Day.

One resident said she slept with a baseball bat by her bed and was afraid she could be shot if she stood up to the perpetrators.

This week, Waititi says the situation is 'disturbing and sad”.

"It's not acceptable, tamariki and their māmā should not have to sleep with fear and anxiety.”

Waiariki MP Rawiri Waititi. Photo / Andrew Warner / Rotorua Daily Post.

He says the empty houses create a 'frequently disturbed and never settled environment” which made nearby houses and their occupants 'easy targets” and allowed 'undesirables to run rampant through communities”.

'Kāinga Ora has some answering to do as to why the houses are vacant in the midst of a housing crisis in Rotorua.

'The community needs to be built on the desires and aspirations of Kaitao Rotohokahoka, its wellbeing and on the social support that sees whānau employed, educated and contributing.”

Kaitao Rotohokahoka is the Māori name for the community in which Tania Cr is part of.

Waititi says police intervention is a temporary solution but it's better to be 'proactive and help avoid the issue in the first place”.

"It starts with building relationships between whānau, hapū, iwi and providing the right social support.

'The reality is, Rotorua's housing supply is at a huge deficit to current demand.

'Although they're building [five] houses on a property that once had one dwelling, we can't just keep shifting the problems and running away.”

Waititi says the Waiariki electorate office will assist whānau of the Tania Cr community and maintain contact with community members.

His office will also be in touch with Kāinga Ora 'in regard to the empty and boarded-up housing supply”, he says.

Kāinga Ora Bay of Plenty regional director Darren Toy. Photo / George Novak / Bay of Plenty Times.

Kāinga Ora Bay of Plenty regional director Darren Toy says all but four of its homes on Tania Cr are occupied.

The four empty homes are about to be demolished to make way for seven two- three- and four-bedroom homes, he says, and Kāinga Ora will soon install safety and security fencing around the existing homes.

"We … working on these new homes being ready for whānau to move into by April [next year].”

Those are in addition to the five new homes under construction at another Kāinga Ora site on the street, he says.

They are expected to be finished about August this year.

'We continue to explore opportunities to bring on more housing in the city, with close to 200 homes under construction or being planned, alongside other purchase, lease, development and partnership housing opportunities.”

Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick says everyone deserves to feel and be safe in their homes. Improving community safety is a priority for the council.

Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick. Photo / Andrew Warner / Rotorua Daily Post.

She says the council can advocate on behalf of communities with the police as the lead agency, and the council's community wellbeing team is speaking to the police about the issues.

'Longer term, [the] council is looking to support the establishment of community hubs, including in Western Heights, which will enable community-led delivery of social and other services including initiatives to increase community safety.”

She says people should report incidents to the police via the 111 or 105 numbers.

'This helps to build a picture of what is happening in our city for [the] police and [the] council.”

Council community wellbeing deputy chief executive Anaru Pewhairangi says hearing of incidents like those on Tania Cr is 'concerning”.

"It's good to see a zero-tolerance response from the community to this anti-social behaviour.

'To date we have not had any direct contact from residents from Tania Cr regarding public disorder or antisocial behaviour.”

Last week, Police Rotorua area commander Inspector Phil Taikato said Rotorua police were "absolutely committed" to the safety of the community and would always respond urgently to immediate threats to people's safety.

"I want to reassure everyone in our community that we will still investigate these matters and hold offenders accountable.”

On Tuesday, Rotorua MP Todd McClay wrote on social media that this week he would meet with the residents of Tania Cr 'who feel harassed and abandoned”.

-Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air