Access to other adequate accommodation

When determining if the client, their partner and dependent children (if any) have access to other accommodation adequate for their needs, MSD will consider whether the place available is adequate for the short-term.

This includes accommodation they can access from their own resources or other sources of assistance.

Other accommodation that may be adequate in the short-term includes:

• staying with friends or family who have spare bedrooms, or a couch (when this is adequate for the needs of the client, their partner, and dependent children)
• paying for temporary accommodation (e.g., campground or hostel when this will not cause the client serious hardship)
• other emergency housing (e.g. Women's Refuge)
• transitional housing funded by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development
• contracted emergency housing funded by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development

Accommodation that may be adequate for the client long-term includes:

• social housing or
• renting, flatting, or boarding

Note there are factors that need to be considered when deciding if accommodation is adequate.

The circumstances of the client, their partner and dependent children (if any) must be considered when deciding if the client has access to other adequate accommodation.

Factors to consider include (but are not limited to):

• Can the client reasonably access the other option before they will have nowhere to stay?
  • For example, does the client have a way to get to the accommodation?
  • For example, are there essential arrangements the client needs to make before they can access the accommodation?
• Are there exceptional circumstances that make it unreasonable to expect the client to immediately access the other accommodation option?
  • For example, it may be unreasonable to require a client who left their accommodation because they were experiencing family violence to access other accommodation options as this could cause increased stress, and negatively impact the wellbeing of the client, their partner, and dependent children (if any)

Note when a client is not able to access other accommodation available immediately, or during some or all of the next 7 days, an Emergency Housing Grant must only be granted for the period they are unable to access other accommodation.