Need emergency or transitional housing?

Accessing emergency and transitional housing

If you urgently need a place to stay, contact Work and Income for help with emergency housing, or to see if you can be referred for transitional housing.

Find out how to apply for emergency housing on the Work and Income website(external link)

If you're escaping family violence

Work and Income also has information on their website about where you can stay if you need to leave home because of family violence.

Find out more about housing when escaping family violence on the Work and Income website(external link)

If you're leaving prison

There are services available to support with housing for those leaving prison who have nowhere to stay.

Find out more about housing when you leave prison on the Work and Income website(external link)

Crisis and mental health support

We know housing is important to your health and wellbeing. If you need mental health support, there are free services and helplines available. 

For counselling and support

• Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to talk to a trained counsellor or peer support worker
• Lifeline(external link)   0800 543 354
• Samaritans(external link)   0800 726 666
• Chinese Lifeline  0800 888 880
  (for people who speak Mandarin or Cantonese)

For children and young people

• Youthline(external link)   0800 376 633, free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz
  (for young people, and their parents, whānau and friends)
• What's Up(external link)  0800 942 8787
  (for 5–18 year olds; 1 pm to 11 pm and online chat service(external link) from 11am-10.30pm, every day including public holidays)
• The Lowdown(external link) email team@thelowdown.co.nz or free text 5626 (emails and text messages will be responded to between 12 noon and 12 midnight)
• SPARX(external link) an online self-help tool that teaches young people the key skills needed to help combat depression and anxiety

For help with specific issues

• org.nz (external link)includes The Journal free online self-help tool
• OUTLine NZ(external link) 0800 688 5463 (0800 OUTLINE)
  (for sexuality or gender identity issues; 9 am to 9 pm weekdays, and 6 pm to 8 pm weekends).
• Alcohol Drug Helpline (external link)0800 787 797
  (for people dealing with an alcohol or other drug problem; 10 am to 10 pm)
• Women's Refuge Crisisline (external link)0800 733 843 (0800 REFUGE)
  (for women living with violence, or in fear, in their relationship or family)
• Shakti Crisis Line (external link)0800 742 584
  (for migrant or refugee women living with family violence)
• Rape Crisis (external link)0800 883 300
  (for support after rape or sexual assault)
• PlunketLine (external link) 0800 933 922
  (support for new parents, including mothers experiencing postnatal depression)

For families, whānau, friends and supporters

• Skylight (external link) 0800 299 100
  (for support through trauma, loss and grief; 9 am to 5 pm weekdays)
• Yellow Brick Road (formerly Supporting Families NZ)(external link)
  (for families and whānau supporting a loved one who has a mental illness)
• Mental Health Foundation(external link) for more information about supporting someone in distress, looking after your mental health and working towards recovery

How to make a complaint

If you have ongoing concerns about your treatment from government departments, you are entitled to complain to the Ombudsman. You can find out the complaints process and how to make a complaint on the Ombudsman's website.

Complaints about government agencies(external link) - Ombudsman