Emergency housing

When you apply, we'll ask you about other housing options you might have, including:

• staying with family or friends
• accommodation options you can afford
• help if you're behind in your rent
• help if you need bond and rent for a new property
• help with moving and travel costs to shift to another suitable place
• negotiating with landlords.

If you qualify for emergency housing, you could stay in places like a boarding house, backpackers, or motel. It depends on your situation and what's available.

Who can get it

You may qualify for emergency housing if you:

• have nowhere to stay tonight or in the next 7 days
• are a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, and
• are ordinarily resident in New Zealand

It also depends on your income and any assets you have.

How to apply

Before you start

Check out other housing options that may be available to you. We'll look at these options first, before granting you emergency housing.

If you ring around places (e.g. a backpackers or motel) and find one with a room available, put it on hold (don't book it). Then talk to us about this when you apply. If you book it and can't stay there, e.g. you don't qualify for emergency housing, we won't be able to pay for it.

Step 1 - Call us

• If you're 65 and over, call 0800 552 002
• If you're under 65, call 0800 559 009
• If you get Youth Payment or Young Parent Payment, call your youth coach. If you don't know how to contact your youth coach, call your Youth Service provider and ask for your youth coach. You can find the contact details for your Youth Service provider on the Youth Services website. If your youth coach isn't available, call us on 0800 559 009

Step 2 - We'll discuss your housing options

We'll talk with you about your situation and what housing options you might have. For example, staying with family or friends.

If we think you qualify for emergency housing, we'll book an appointment for you.

Step 3 - At your appointment

We'll confirm whether you qualify for emergency housing. As part of this discussion, we'll check there are no other housing options available to you.

Next we'll see if you can stay in transitional housing. This is funded by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). If there's a space in transitional housing, you can stay there for a few months while you find a more permanent home.

If there are no spaces in transitional housing, we'll look at emergency housing options.

• We may ring around places to see if there's anything available. We may ask you to ring some places too. We'll try to keep you in the same area but it will depend on what's available.
• We'll make contact with you again in a few hours if we don't find anything right away.

Ideally, emergency housing will be available on the same day, but there may be a wait. Once a place has been confirmed, you can go there as soon as it's available.

Step 4 - Follow up appointment after 7 days

If you still need emergency housing after 7 days, we'll book another appointment with you.

At this appointment, we'll:

• check you still qualify for emergency housing
• check there are no other housing options available to you
• confirm you're meeting your responsibilities while in emergency housing
• see if the place you're staying in still meets your needs, and
• check if you qualify for public housing.

How much it costs

The first 7 nights

In most cases we'll cover the cost of your accommodation for the first 7 nights if either:

• it's your first time in emergency housing, or
• it's been a while since you've needed emergency housing and there's a new reason you need it again.

After 7 nights

After 7 nights, you'll start to pay for some of your accommodation costs (if you're not already paying). This is called an Emergency Housing Contribution.

• You'll pay about 25% of your income (after tax).
• If you have a partner, they'll also pay about 25% of their income (after tax).

Your income may include payments from us, wages, salary or other income, or Family Tax Credits. We'll let you know exactly how much this will be.

How to pay your Emergency Housing Contribution

If you get a main benefit (e.g. Jobseeker Support or Sole Parent Support), NZ Super or Veteran's Pension, it will automatically come out of your payment.

If you don't get a main benefit, NZ Super or Veteran's Pension, you can either:

• set up an automatic payment (in the reference field put the letter 'E' followed by your 9 digit client number), or
• make a one-off payment to pay your contribution in full. There are different ways to do this, e.g. online or internet banking. See our Pay debt in NZ page for options of how to pay your contribution in full.

Situations when you pay the full cost back

There are some situations when you may need to pay the full cost of emergency housing back to us. Some of these include when you:

• stay in emergency housing when another housing option is available to you
• do not actively look for another place to live
• have a previous emergency housing contribution that you haven't paid, or
• use emergency housing in a way you shouldn't, e.g. you were granted emergency housing but let someone else stay there.

If you need to pay the full cost back, we'll let you know.

Your responsibilities while in emergency housing

While you're in emergency housing, you need to:

• keep looking for longer-term housing, e.g. a private rental or other options
• apply for suitable longer-term housing
• follow the rules of the accommodation you're staying in, for example:
  • obeying noise policies
  • obeying visitor policies
  • keeping your room clean
• accept responsibility for any rules you break. For example, if you or one of your guests have done any damage to the property, you will need to pay for it
• let us know if your situation changes
• let us know when you leave emergency housing
• pay the Emergency Housing Contribution when required.