housing products
list of housing products from MSD
supplementary assistance
Accommodation Supplement
A weekly payment to help young people with their rent, board or the cost of owning a home. If a young person has a tenancy agreement with Kāinga Ora, they won't qualify for Accommodation Supplement as they will be getting income-related rent instead.
Temporary Additional Support
A weekly payment that helps young people who do not have enough money to cover their essential living costs, including accommodation costs.
Disability Allowance
A weekly payment that helps young people who have ongoing, additional costs, because of a disability. This can include cost of power.
public housing
Public housing
If a young person can't afford a private rental, they may be able to live in a public house where the Government pays part of the rent. These are houses that are rented out by Kāinga Ora and other Community Housing Providers. Public houses are allocated on needs basis, not a ‘first in, first served’ basis. The length of time someone will be waiting for a house depends on their Priority Rating under the assessment, and the availability of a house that suits their needs in a location they are willing to live.
Public housing assessment
A public housing assessment is a series of questions which determines eligibility for public housing against an agreed set of criteria, which is then used to assist the public housing provider in matching to the most appropriate property. It looks at both an applicants need to move, and their ability to afford, access and sustain a private rental. If there are many barriers to them accessing a private rental, this will be reflected in a higher need rating. You can view the full list of questions in the ART document library: ‘Needs assessment form – Social Housing’.
Income Related Rent (IRR)
A subsidised rent scheme for public housing tenants with low incomes, calculated on the basis of the young person’s assessable income and their household type.
All tenants in public housing have a duty to advise us of any change in their circumstances that may affect their continued eligibility or need for the property they’re renting, including income.
When a young person’s annual review of IRR comes around or if they advise us of a change of circumstances at any point, we would then take into account their circumstances (for example, if are they receiving more money from wages) in order to determine the actual impact on their IRR.
Social housing landlords determine the market rent for their properties. A small number of social housing tenants are paying market rent rates
Transitional housing
When a young person comes to us for housing assistance, our first step is to explore transitional housing options.
Transitional housing provides warm, dry and safe short-term (generally up to 12 weeks) accommodation for young people in need, alongside social support while they’re there. Transitional housing may be extended for more than 12 weeks if needed.
Transitional housing is managed by providers contracted by or on behalf of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. These providers are skilled in supporting people with a range of social and tenancy-related services and are also responsible for maintaining the properties. Transitional Housing may be a house or motel.
People who stay in transitional housing receive a further 12 weeks support once they have found more permanent housing.
housing support products
Moving Costs Grant
Provides recoverable assistance to help a young person (or any other person living in the young person’s household) with costs to move their combined household furniture, appliances, personal effects and personal belongings into rental housing.
Bond Grant
Provides recoverable assistance to help with the cost of a rental bond charged by a landlord to the young person as a tenant.
Accommodation Security Cover Grant
Assistance to obtain or retain accommodation, by providing assurance to accommodation suppliers that any outstanding accommodation costs will be covered, if owed at the end of the accommodation agreement.
Accommodation costs in Advance Grant
Provides recoverable assistance to help with the accommodation costs in advance charged by a landlord or head tenant to the young person.
Accommodation costs in Arrears Grant
Provides recoverable assistance to help young people to retain their housing if they are at risk of losing their accommodation due to being behind on their accommodation costs.
Tenancy Costs Cover
A conditional grant for young people who are having difficulty getting rental housing due to their personal circumstances. It provides landlords with assurance the young people will be able to meet any tenancy related costs over and above the rental bond (up to a limit) if owed at the end of the tenancy. Tenancy Costs Cover is payable to the landlord, but recoverable from the young person.
Transition to Alternative Housing Grant
A one-off, non-recoverable incentive payment for young people who are ready and able to move out of social housing and into alternative housing.
NOTE: Young people can receive multiple Housing Support Products if the individual qualifications for each grant are met.
emergency housing
Emergency Housing Grant
Assistance with the cost of emergency housing (usually a motel) where a person has an urgent need and no alternative housing options.
Note: Emergency Housing Grant is a last resort.
support to those in emergency housing
Please talk with your Manager Regional housing or appointed housing contact for more information on the following
Intensive Case Managers (ICM)
Working with families and young people identified with complex needs in Emergency Housing and those presenting regularly in housing stress. They are the first point of contact for all matters for these individuals.
Tailored support will be provided to respond to the needs of these households.
With the aim to develop long term responses and services for Māori and Pacific New Zealanders being tailored to reflect cultural preferences, for example helping to find housing that is suitable for larger families and multi-generational living.
Navigation / Support Services
Where a young person needs more support than an Integrated Services Case Manager can offer, Navigators coordinate services and provide ongoing support to address young people’s needs from a housing perspective.
The role involves personalised planning and coordinating of services by working with providers, health professionals, and a range of government and community agencies. This includes fostering stronger collaboration between central and local government, iwi, and community organisations and building on local networks.
Housing Brokers
Housing Brokers work with whānau and help to connect them with local landlords and property managers to access housing opportunities in the private rental market. Housing Brokers advocate for young people in Emergency Housing.
Ready to Rent
The Ready to Rent programme is designed to better prepare individuals and whānau for the private rental market. MSD contracts community providers to deliver targeted programmes to people living in emergency housing or on the housing register, equipping them with the skills and confidence to gain and sustain private rental housing.
Flexible Funding Assistance
This assistance is in part a recognition that families with children are staying in emergency housing for longer periods and need additional support.
Its purpose is to assist in meeting education, early childhood, and wellbeing needs of families with children when additional costs are incurred because they are staying in emergency housing.
The individual needs which can be met by Flexible Funding Assistance are identified by case managers or navigators who work with each whānau. Once a need has been identified a referral is sent to the contracted provider who organises payment to a supplier for items or services on behalf of the Ministry. Read the factsheet here
Advance payment of benefit for essential repairs and maintenance costs
Homeowners receiving a benefit may be able to get help (which is recoverable) for essential repairs and maintenance to their home.