Emergency housing changes

Emergency housing should always be a last resort. We're doing everything we can to help people – whether that's helping them keep their current home or find a private rental, so they don't need emergency housing, or helping people out of emergency housing and into suitable, sustainable homes.

From 26 August, if you're staying in or applying for emergency housing, you will need to:

• provide information about your housing situation if we ask for it, e.g. the notice to leave from your landlord. We'll only ask if we need it to help our decision making
• agree to meet responsibilities to help improve your housing situation, and
• complete activities to help you meet your responsibilities.

What responsibilities you'll have

If you're in emergency housing for more than 7 nights, there are responsibilities you have to meet from the 8th night.

Your responsibilities will be:

• make a good effort to find other housing by doing things like looking for rentals, getting help to pay for private accommodation, or staying with whānau or friends
• engage with support services like a housing broker or navigator, or budget or employment advisors – these will be either services we refer you to, or services you're already working with
• pay the emergency housing contribution on time.

You'll need to complete activities to help you meet your responsibilities. Activities will be agreed between you and your case manager, tailored to your circumstances and be achievable.

They will be things which will help you to get a home, for example:

• meeting with a housing broker
• attending a Ready to Rent course
• working with budget advisors, or
• looking for a private rental.

You'll also get a letter listing your agreed activities, and who to contact if you need help.

At each re-grant appointment, we'll check you've done the activities you agreed to and talk with you about any support which may be available.

This is an important part of helping to set people up for housing success.

What happens if you don't meet your responsibilities

If you don't meet your responsibilities without a good reason, this is what will happen:

• First time - you'll get a written warning.
• Second time - you'll get another written warning.
• Third time - we'll decline your next emergency housing application and you won't be able to get emergency housing for 13 weeks.

We don't want people to get to this point. We'll support you to meet your responsibilities and complete any activities we ask you to do.

There'll be more information on this website from 26 August.