Eligibility and Applications

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Applying for public housing assistance in Aotearoa is straightforward.

There is one central waiting list used by all public and community housing providers, known as the Housing Wait List. This list is managed by Work and Income – Te Hiranga Tangata.

To be considered for a public housing property with Home in Place NZ, you must be active on the Housing Wait List.

Age

You must be 16 or older.

Residency

If you're getting a main benefit from (e.g. Jobseeker Support), you meet the residency criteria.

If you don't get a main benefit, you need to meet one of these residency criteria:

• you're a New Zealand citizen.
• you have a resident visa or permanent resident visa and have lived in NZ continuously for at least 2 years since getting it
• you're recognised as a refugee by Immigration New Zealand
• you're recognised as a protected person by Immigration New Zealand, or
• you fit into one of these categories:
• you have a Christchurch Response Visa
• you get Christchurch Mosque Attack Assistance, or
• you get a Special Needs Grant because you came to New Zealand on a temporary visa to be with your NZ partner and your relationship ended due to domestic violence.

Serious Housing Need

You must have a serious housing need. This means we'll look at things like:

• your current housing situation, including:
• the property's physical condition
• if the property has basic living facilities
• over-crowding
• how secure your tenancy is
• whether your current property or area is safe for you and suitable for your medical or physical needs
• whether you could afford to rent privately
• how difficult it is to find a private rental that meets your needs
• whether you could manage long term in a private rental.

Income and Assets

Generally you need to have:

• Income under $744.56 a week (after tax) if you're single with no children or $1,145.46 a week (after tax) if you have a partner or children
• Cash assets worth less than $42,700.  Note: You may still qualify if your income or assets are higher, depending on your situation. 

For full details on eligibility, visit the Work and Income housing page. 

If you or someone you’re supporting would like to be considered for housing through Home in Place NZ:

• For public housing:
  Make sure you are registered on the Housing Wait List through Work and Income.

• For market rent housing:
  Visit our listings page and register your interest directly.