Public and Community Housing Management Act 1992, s 102(2)(a); Ministerial Direction on Eligibility for Social Housing, 14 Apr 2014; Ministerial Direction on Continued Eligibility for Social Housing,
1 Jul 2014
To qualify for government-subsidised social housing from Kāinga Ora (Housing NZ) or a community housing provider, you must:
be at least 16 and be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, and New Zealand must be your usual home
have after-tax income under $655.41 a week if you have no partner and no dependent children or under $1008.33 a week if you have a partner and/or dependent children; and have less than $42,700 in cash savings or other property that could be converted into cash
have a high need for social housing – this will depend on who’s in your household, what your current place is like, your ability to find suitable housing in the private market, and other factors (housing needs are assessed under what’s called the “Social Allocation System” – SAS).
If you have a partner, their situation will be assessed as part of your application.
If you received a COVID-19 relief payment, that is counted as income when determining whether you qualify for subsidised housing.