Accessibility of alternative housing

Accessibility considers whether a tenant has access to alternative housing in the area they need to live.

It considers availability of suitable housing in the private market, and whether there are other reasons that a tenant can't access the available houses (for example because of discrimination or lack of financial means to move).

A tenant must have made a reasonable effort to find suitable alternative housing.

This may be through:

• being engaged in the Independence Planning phase
• registering and applying for houses through property agencies
• investigating home ownership options
• applying for houses advertised in newspapers or
• applying for houses advertised online (for example Trade Me)

There is no specific number of houses a tenant must have applied for to meet this criteria. It depends on their circumstances and the alternative housing options in the area.

A tenant meets the accessibility criteria when:

• they have made a reasonable effort to find alternative housing and
• there is no suitable alternative housing in the area they need to live or
• there are acceptable reasons that prevent them or their household from accessing these suitable houses due to discrimination, or lack of financial resources for bond, rent, furniture and moving costs

If the tenant and their household can access suitable alternative housing, they will not continue to qualify for social housing.

If the tenant and their household can't access suitable alternative housing, they will continue to qualify for social housing under the accessibility criteria.