5146 (2026). Hon Kieran McAnulty to the Associate Minister of Housing

5146 (2026). Hon Kieran McAnulty to the Associate Minister of Housing: Further to WPQ 611 (2026), what is the current average wait time for a household to be placed into stable housing after entering the Housing First programme, broken down by region?

Hon Tama Potaka: The Housing First programme is structured and resourced to fund specialised providers to work with households experiencing chronic homelessness, sleeping rough or in other places not designed for habitation (such as cars), for at least 12 months, and which have high or complex support needs that require intensive ongoing support. Once people are in the programme, they're provided with tailored support to help them deal with any underlying complex issues that may have led to their homelessness. The support continues as they are placed into stable housing. The aim is to help them stay housed and achieve their goals. This context should be noted when considering time to housing placement in Housing First, which tends to be extended, as households and providers must navigate challenging social circumstances and local housing market conditions while securing appropriate homes and putting sustainable supports in place. I refer the member to the attached table for WPQ 5146 (2026).