Social housing is housing provided for people on low incomes or with particular needs by government agencies or non-profit organizations.  Many councils in New Zealand own or support the provision of social housing, and in 2018 LGNZ created a “toolkit” for councils to reference in evaluation of costs with benefits and to measure supply with demand.  In 2019, LGNZ will continue to advocate for council access to interest related rent subsidies and build upon lessons learned.

Housing Register

The Housing Register captures the housing requirements of people who have applied for public housing through MSD.

The increase in demand may be attributed to a number of factors:

• Public awareness of support available through increased media and stakeholder engagement activities;
• Increasing competition for private rental properties; and
• Fewer exits from public housing into other accommodation.

Priority of applicants on the Housing Register

The Housing Register is prioritised by need into priority A and priority B.

Priority A applicants are considered to be ‘at risk’ and include households that have a severe and persistent housing need that must be addressed immediately. Priority B applicants are those with a ‘serious housing need’ and include households with a significant and persistent need.

In the December quarter, Priority A applicants on the Housing Register increased to 78% (from 76%) and Priority B applicants shifted to 22% (from 24%).

Source: HUD March 2019 Quarterly Housing Report