Temporary Accommodation Assistance

You may be able to get Temporary Accommodation Assistance if you:

• are still paying for your home which you own and usually live in, but can't live in because it's been red or yellow stickered, or you've been required to leave because of the severe weather event
• are paying for temporary accommodation that you signed an agreement for before 18 March 2024, for example:
  • a tenancy agreement under the Residential Tenancies Act
  • a flat or house sharing agreement (for example flatmates who are not named on the tenancy agreement)
  • a hire agreement or rental contract for a cabin, mobile home or caravan
  • a lodging or boarding agreement
  • commercial accommodation agreements (for example a hotel, motel or homestay)
• have been getting insurance payments for your temporary accommodation but these have stopped or will stop soon, or you had taken steps to be insured but for reasons outside of your control you weren't covered
• are registered with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's (MBIE's) Temporary Accommodation Service
• are not getting any other help from us for the temporary accommodation you're living in right now.

You must also be:

• ordinarily resident in New Zealand, and
• either a:
  • New Zealand citizen
  • New Zealand resident, or
  • recognised as a refugee or protected person.

It doesn't matter how much income or how many assets you have.

Temporary Accommodation Assistance is non-taxable and is paid to you weekly. How much you can get  is based on your family type and the area your temporary accommodation is in. The rates for this payment are in the table below.

Your rate will be the lesser amount of either:

• the rate of Temporary Accommodation Assistance shown in the table below, or
• the amount you're paying to stay in temporary accommodation.

To use this table:

• 1) find out if you’re in area 1, 2, 3 or 4. You can do this by clicking on the ‘Area’ link to find out what locations are covered by each area (area 4 is any location that is not in area 1, 2 or 3).
• 2) figure out which family type you are
• 3) find the amount for both your area and your family type.

Step 1: Book an appointment

You need to book an appointment to come in and apply. To book this you can either:

• call us:
  • if you're a senior - 0800 552 002
  • if you're a student - 0800 88 99 00
  • anyone else - 0800 559 009, or
• come in to one of our offices.

Step 2: Fill in the application form

Here’s the application form. You can print and fill it out, or we’ll complete it with you at your appointment.

Temporary Accommodation Assistance application form (PDF 977.49KB)

Step 3: get your documents

When you come to your appointment you need to bring:

• identification for yourself and your partner:
  • NZ or Australian passport
  • NZ birth certificate
  • driver licence, or
  • temporary NZ passport.
• if you have children, you need to bring their birth certificates
• proof that you own your own home, such as a mortgage document, or rates demand
• proof you can't live in your home because of the specified weather event
• proof you had temporary accommodation insurance cover and this was paid out. If you didn't have cover or it was not paid out please provide proof of the reasons for this instead
• proof that you continue to pay costs for your affected home
• proof you are registered with the Temporary Accommodation Service
• proof of your agreement for temporary accommodation you had before 18 March 2024
• proof of your bank account details.

Once you're getting the payment, you need to let us know about any change in your circumstances. For example, if your living situation or address changes.

We'll check to make sure you still meet the criteria to get this payment.