Hon Tama Potaka
Associate Minister of Housing

Ka mate kāinga tahi, ka ora kāinga rua.

An innovative Government trial will tailor support to people with a diverse range of complex needs to move out of emergency housing and into more permanent housing, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says.

“The Government has set a target of reducing the number of people in emergency housing by 75 per cent by 2030. In working to achieve this target our first focus has been to move whānau with tamariki out of emergency housing motels and into more stable housing through our Priority One policy.

“We’ve had solid success with Priority One, which has seen 726 households - including 1452 tamariki – moved from emergency housing into social housing since its introduction in April up to 30 September 2024,” Mr Potaka says.

“Now we are putting in place a new initiative to help those in emergency housing without children move into more permanent homes.

“We are trialling a social investment approach to support single people and couples who don’t have children living with them, starting with those who have been in emergency housing for more than 12 months. The two-year trial will support up to 100 people, and eligible households will include those not already registered for another housing support service administered by Ministry of Social Development.

“From this month, Wellington City Mission and Emerge Aotearoa in Waikato will become the first organisations to take part in the trial.

“The trial provides wraparound support tailored to each individual, recognising that people who have been in emergency housing for extended periods of time can have complex housing and support needs.

“Rather than a uniform support programme across all clients, examples of the tailored support and tautoko could include enrolment in primary health care, budgeting, employment, and counselling services, support to open bank accounts and manage a tenancy agreement, gaining a driver licence, or re-engaging with family and community support. It will be up to the service providers to determine how best to support each client in the trial.

“An important element of the trial is to determine whether this approach is effective in helping people with complex needs get into a home and, just as important, successfully stay in that home. This will mean future approaches and services will be able to respond earlier and avoid people having long stays in emergency housing wherever possible.

“We know that when people live in a stable, warm, dry whare they have better economic, social and health outcomes. This includes being more connected to their communities.

“Ensuring people have the best opportunities to get ahead through better, more stable housing is an investment in the future of our country,” Mr Potaka says.

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