Who can get social
housing?
Easy Read
Information
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This tells you about social housing and who
can get it
Social housing means houses
that are:
 rented out by Housing New
Zealand
 rented out by a housing
provider that can get an
income-related rent
subsidy.
Income-related rent is based on
the amount of the money you
have.
The Ministry of Social
Development works out how
much rent they think you can
afford to pay.
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The housing provider then
charges you the amount of rent
you need to pay.
The Government then pays the
rest of the rent to the housing
provider.
To find out more about incomerelated rent please look at our
‘Income-related rent’ easy
read information.
To get social housing you must:
 have nowhere to live
 be able to show us that you have tried to
find somewhere else
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To get social housing you need
to:
 live in New Zealand
 be a New Zealand citizen or a
permanent resident in New
Zealand
 be 16 years old or over
 get less than:
-
$585.30 each week for a
single person
-
$900.45 each week if you
have a partner and/ or
children living with you.
 have less than $42,700 cash.
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What if I have been a
permanent resident for less
than 2 years?
Talk to us.
You may still be able to get
social housing if you are getting
a main benefit.
What if I am not a New Zealand
citizen OR a permanent
resident?
Talk to us.
In some cases you may still be
able to get social housing.
If you have a partner we will need
to look at their information too.
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How to start the process
If you have a client number
and:
 you are under 65 call
0800 559 009
 you are 65 or over call Senior
Services on
0800 552 002
 you are a student call Study
Link on 0800 88 99 00
 you are with Youth Service
call your Youth Service
provider.
Have your client number
ready.
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You can find your client number
on:
 letters from us
 your Community Services or
SuperGold card if you have
one of these.
If you are Deaf you can
contact us on:
 Deaf Link free-fax
0800 621 621
 telephone typewriter (TTY)
0800 111 113
 text
029 286 7170
 email:
MSD_Deaf_Services@msd.
govt.nz
If you don’t have a client number:
Call us on 0800 673 468
(0800 MSD housing)
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What other help is there?
If you cannot get social housing
we may be able to help you in
other ways.
You can:
 get advice on how to find
somewhere to live
 look at the Ministry of Social
Development housing
website:
www.housing.msd.govt.nz
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 get advice on other housing
options
 make an appointment for a
Housing Options seminar
 look at our Easy Read
‘Finding Somewhere to Live’
information.
If you have nowhere to stay
tonight please call us as we may
be able to help.
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This information has been translated into Easy Read
by People First New Zealand Inc.
April 2017
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