Claims growing demand is linked to the big spend on emergency housing.

Newstalk ZB can reveal more than one billion dollars has been spent on emergency housing since Labour took office in 2017.

Rotorua Lakes District Councillor Merepeka Raukawa-Tait told Mike Hosking Covid has exacerbated the number of people in need of emergency accommodation.

She says some people in the motels have been around a while, but many are new and seeking temporary accommodation because of rent cost stress.

Raukawa-Tait says there is no doubt the number is increasing.

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