6373 (2025). Hon Kieran McAnulty to the Associate Minister of Housing

6373 (2025). Hon Kieran McAnulty to the Associate Minister of Housing: Are Work and Income referrals for transitional housing being reduced and if so, why?

Hon Tama Potaka: I am advised by the Ministry of Social Development (the Ministry) that there has been no directive to its staff to reduce referrals to Transitional Housing. I am further advised that when assessing a person’s need for emergency housing, Ministry staff will firstly consider other available options to meet that need including a referral to Transitional Housing providers. I note that over the twelve months to January 2025, demand for emergency housing has decreased by more than 80 percent (or 2,406 households) with fewer than 500 households currently remaining in emergency housing.