Social housing, income-related rent and emergency housing in NZ

The options, from least to most urgent

1. Stay put: talk to your landlord early, ask Work and Income about Accommodation Supplement and Temporary Additional Support, and use your bank's hardship team if you own.
2. Bond Grant and Tenancy Costs Cover: if you need to move into a new rental or can't pay costs (check eligibility with Work and Income).
3. Social housing register: Work and Income assesses your housing need.
4. Emergency or transitional housing: for people with no safe place to stay tonight.

Income-related rent: how it works

If you live in social housing from Kāinga Ora or a registered community housing provider, MSD sets your rent based on your household's income, not the market rent. Most tenants pay 25% of net household income. The Government pays the provider the difference through the income-related rent subsidy. If the calculated rent is higher than the market rent for the home, you pay the market rent.

• Add up everyone's weekly income after tax (averaged over at least 4 weeks if it varies). Work and Income's current thresholds are $555.15 a week for a single person without children living alone, and $854.08 for single people with children, anyone with a partner, or people sharing a tenancy.
• Below the threshold, rent is 25% of income. Above it, rent is 25% of the threshold plus 50% of the income over it. Rent is capped at market rent.
• A small add-on applies for family tax credits (the lower of 25% of your weekly Family Tax Credit or $37.97), and 62% of any board you receive is added.
• There is a minimum rent: $81 single 24 or younger; $93 single 25+; $168 single with children; $158 two or more adults, no children; $205 two or more adults with children. Rent is rounded down to the nearest dollar.
• Example for a couple, using the $854.08 threshold: weekly net income of $600 gives rent of $150 before add-ons. Net income of $1,000 gives 25% x 854.08 = $213.52, plus 50% x (1,000 - 854.08) = $72.96, so $286.48 before add-ons.

Social housing tenants can't also get Accommodation Supplement: income-related rent replaces it.

Getting on the register

1. Apply through Work and Income (MyMSD or phone). They assess whether your housing need is urgent and the type of home you need.
2. Be ready to describe your situation: where you're living now, safety, overcrowding, health, number of people.
3. Waiting times vary by region and by need. Ask Work and Income where you are on the register and what else can help while you wait.

Budget 2026 says the social housing needs assessment will be redesigned and the Government is exploring changes to move people through and out of social housing. Check the latest process when you apply.

Emergency housing grants

• Emergency housing help is now a separate Emergency Housing Grants Programme (MSD notice of change, 2024) with a responsibility framework that changes the eligibility criteria. Ask Work and Income what you must do and by when; not meeting responsibilities can affect further help.
• The programme removed the ability to make emergency housing grants recoverable. Work and Income's cost page says grants are generally non-recoverable, but can be recovered if you are not meeting your requirements or the money isn't used for its purpose.
• If you're declined, ask about Bond Grant, Tenancy Costs Cover, Accommodation Supplement, and community support.
• Work and Income says it generally covers the first seven nights and a contribution applies from the eighth night: the higher of 25% of your (and your partner's) weekly after-tax income or 25% of the Jobseeker Support rate you would qualify for. Budget 2026 says contributions for emergency and transitional housing will increase from 1 April 2027, and $11.2 million funds emergency housing support services (at a lower level) to June 2027.