Making a reasonable effort to get other housing

To qualify for an Emergency Housing Grant, clients must agree to, and meet the emergency housing responsibilities. This includes making a reasonable effort in their circumstances to get other housing, including accessing other assistance.

To meet the responsibility, clients must look for other adequate housing options to meet their emergency housing need. This includes accessing other assistance available to them to find other housing.

The emergency housing responsibilities apply from clients 8th night in emergency housing.

Agreed activities are steps or actions the client must take to meet the emergency housing responsibilities.

The client must understand and agree to meet the responsibilities including any activities set by MSD.

MSD can discuss and set agreed activities to help the client get other housing.  

Examples of agreed activities:

• searching and applying for long term accommodation (e.g., using Trade Me property, property management companies, flatmates wanted advertisements)
• working with MSD to explore if they may qualify for:
  • other accommodation assistance such as Housing Support Products or Accommodation Supplement
  • other assistance to help improve the clients ability to afford other housing, such as employment, training and work readiness assistance (e.g. Training Incentive Allowance, or extra help such as Temporary Additional Support)
• checking whether the client could stay with family and friends locally or in another town (note the client must choose to stay in another town, MSD cannot require them to do this)
• making an attempt to repair the relationship with the person that asked the client to leave where it is safe to do so (e.g. if they have been asked to leave a boarding or flatting situation)
• undertaking screening and assessment for social housing (if applicable) and provide any information needed to complete the assessment
• engaging with and attending any courses or seminars as required (e.g. budget services, addiction services, or tenancy courses) that will assist the client to find alternative housing
• engaging and working with community providers as required

Note MSD must be satisfied the client has met their responsibilities. This means the client may be required to provide supporting evidence.

MSD may require a client to provide supporting evidence to determine if they have met their emergency housing responsibilities. 

If supporting evidence is required and the client refuses to provide it, MSD must determine whether or not the client has met their responsibilities on the information available. 

If MSD determines the responsibilities have not been met and there is no good and sufficient reason, the client will receive a warning. 

Clients must meet the emergency housing responsibilities during their stay in emergency housing. This includes completing any agreed activities set by MSD for an Emergency Housing Grant, by the date determined by MSD. This date will be no later than the client’s next scheduled appointment to apply for a further Emergency Housing Grant.

If the client does not have a good and sufficient reason for not making a reasonable effort to get other housing, including accessing other assistance, they will get a warning.