Homelessness Outlook

Indicators are neutral statements that provide an operational definition of a concept, focus area or topic. One or more indicators can be used to track, observe, or measure a concept of interest. For example, perceived housing affordability is the percentage of households that perceive their housing costs as unaffordable. 

Living without shelter is one of four categories of homelessness. Living situations that provide no shelter, or makeshift shelter, are considered as ‘without shelter’. These include situations such as living on the street, and inhabiting improvised dwellings (e.g., living in a car, tent, or garage). 

Find out more about the definition of 'living without shelter' on the Stats NZ website.(external link)

Living in uninhabitable accommodation is one of four categories of homelessness. Uninhabitable housing is housing that lacks one or more of six basic amenities – safe drinking water, electricity, cooking facilities, a kitchen sink, bath or shower, toilet – due to lack of access to minimally adequate housing. 

Find out more about the definition of 'uninhabitable housing' on the Stats NZ website.(external link)

Transitional housing is temporary accommodation and support for individuals or families who are in urgent need of housing. It provides warm, dry, short-term housing for people and families who have an urgent need for a place to stay.  

People using the Transitional Housing service are helped to find longer-term housing. In most cases, once they have secured a longer-term home, service providers also help them access other support, including Work and Income services, budgeting advice and health services. Transitional Housing is provided by approved social service providers who manage and are responsible for making sure the properties are warm, dry and well-maintained.   

Transitional Housing Contracted Places refer to the specific number of places that have been contracted for use as transitional housing at any one time. 

Find out more about Transitional Housing here.

The Homelessness Indicators are reported based on the most recent data available up to 31 December 2022. The period a specific indicator relates to varies depending on the data source. An indicator may provide information about a point-in-time, over the past month, quarter, or year.  

Find out more about time periods for the homelessness indicators in the Homelessness Outlook here. [hyperlink to excel doc to come]. 

Living in temporary accommodation is one of four categories of homelessness.  Temporary accommodation includes overnight shelters such emergency and transitional housing, night shelter and women’s refuges; and, 24-hour accommodation that is not intended to be lived in long-term, such as a boarding house, caravan, campground, marae, motel, hotel, or other guest accommodation. 

Find out more about the definition of 'temporary accommodation' on the Stats NZ website.(external link)

Temporarily sharing accommodation with another household in a severely overcrowded dwelling is one of four categories of homelessness. This includes situations in which family members may be split up to be accommodated by several other households. The Severe Housing Deprivation estimates identify people sharing accommodation as those who are staying with another household in a severely overcrowded dwelling. The usual residents of the dwelling are not considered homeless.  

Find out more about the definition of 'sharing accommodation' and the Severe Housing Deprivation estimates here.

Severe housing deprivation is another way of describing homelessness, and these terms can be used interchangeably. The severe housing deprivation report is produced approximately every five years from Census data. The report estimates of the number of people experiencing homelessness in New Zealand and details how homelessness is measured.  

Find out more about severe housing deprivation here.(external link)  

Where available, we have reported data by region. There are variations in the regional breakdowns depending on the data source. This is because different agencies have their own standard ways of collecting and reporting data by region. For example, Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga has eleven regions reflecting operational boundaries that are based on a collection of territorial authorities (District and City Councils). 

When whānau are in need of public housing, their needs are recorded on the Public Housing Register. The Public Housing Register is comprised of a Housing Register and a Transfer Register. The Housing Register is prioritised by need and consists of public housing applicants who have been assessed as being eligible. The Transfer Register is made up of people already in public housing, but who have requested and are eligible for a transfer to another property. To apply for public housing and be placed on the Public Housing Register, individuals must contact Work and Income and be assessed for eligibility based on their situation. Each application is made by an individual, but represents a household that has applied for, been found eligible, and is in need of a public home. 

Find out more about who can get public housing on the Work and Income website.(external link)

Public housing is a vital part of our social support system, providing families, individuals and whānau with a stable, affordable place to live. Public housing is owned or leased by Kāinga Ora - Homes and Community (Kāinga Ora) or Community Housing Providers (CHPs). It is targeted at households that are most in need of housing, who can’t access or sustain a tenancy in the private rental market for a range of reasons. 

Find out more about public housing on the Work and Income website.(external link)

Registered community housing providers (CHPs) provide long-term public, social and affordable rental housing to individuals and households in communities around Aotearoa. They are registered and monitored annually by the Community Housing Regulatory Authority (often referred to as CHRA or the Authority) to ensure that tenants are appropriately housed, and to support the growth of a fair, efficient and transparent community housing sector.   

Find out more about registered community housing providers on the Community Housing Regulatory website.  (external link)

Housing First helps get people, families, and whānau who have been experiencing homelessness for at least a year back into permanent housing. Once they’re in stable housing, it also provides tailored support for as long as necessary to help them stay in their homes and deal with the underlying issues that led to their homelessness. Housing First recognises that it’s easier for people to deal with complex issues, such as mental health and addiction, if they have a stable place to live. The aim is to help people stay housed and achieve their goals. 

Find out more about Housing First here.

The Household Economic survey (HES) is an annual household survey run by Stats NZ. HES collects information on the economic wellbeing of New Zealand households; information on household income, housing costs, and material wellbeing is collected annually. Information on household savings and expenditure are collected every three years. HES is designed to be representative of the New Zealand population and is designed to provide robust estimates for 12 regional council areas.  

Find out more about household income and housing-cost statistics on the Stats NZ website.(external link)

Find out more about child poverty statistics on the Stats NZ website. (external link)

A household can be one person who lives alone, or two or more people who live together and share facilities (such as for cooking) in a (usually) private dwelling (which includes public housing). 

Usually, government agencies providing housing services only collect and report on household information from the primary tenant or primary applicant of a household. This primary tenant or primary applicant is seen as representing the whole household – whether it’s a household of one or more adults and/or children. For example, Māori households are therefore households where the primary tenant or applicant has identified as Māori – whether or not others in the household are Māori.

In New Zealand, homelessness is defined as a living situation where people with no other options to acquire safe and secure housing are living without shelter, in temporary accommodation, sharing accommodation with a household, or living in uninhabitable housing.  

Find out more about the definition of 'homelessness' on the Stats NZ website.(external link)

The Housing Dashboard is a single place to track progress of key parts of the Government’s housing programme. The Dashboard is updated monthly and includes information on public and transitional housing, other housing built by the Government, the housing register and other housing support provided. It shows what has been delivered by the end of the month. 

Find out more about the Housing Dashboard here.

The General Social Survey (GSS) is a household survey run every two years by Stats NZ. The GSS provides information on the social well-being of New Zealanders. It covers a wide range of social and economic outcomes, such as general health, mental wellbeing, and income adequacy, and shows how people in different groups within the New Zealand population are faring. The GSS is designed to be representative of the New Zealand population. 

Find out more about the latest GSS data on the NZ Stats website.(external link)

Ethnicity is a sense of identifying or feeling a sense of belonging with an ethnic group or groups. It is self-perceived, can change over time, and people can belong to more than one ethnic group. Ethnicity is reported and measured in different ways.  

Find out more about how Stats NZ defines and measures ethnicity.(external link)

Find out more about how the Ministry of Social Development reports on ethnicity.(external link)

Find out more about how ethnicity has been reported for the homelessness indicators in the Homelessness Outlook here [hyperlink to excel doc]. 

Introduced in July 2016, the Emergency Housing Special Needs Grant (EH SNG) helps individuals and families with the cost of staying in short-term emergency accommodation (motels, hostels, campsites etc) if they are temporarily unable to access transitional housing. These are available to people who cannot remain in their usual place of residence, if any, and who will not have access to other accommodation which is adequate for their or their family’s needs. Emergency Housing Special Needs Grants are applied for, approved, and granted through Work and Income - Te Hiringa Tangata, a service provided by the Ministry of Social Development. 

Find out more about Emergency Housing Special Needs Grants here. (external link)

COVID-19 response motels originated as temporary places during the first COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020 to house our most vulnerable, including those experiencing chronic homelessness. To help ensure people do not return to homelessness, these motel places, in addition to support services, continue to house these vulnerable people and provide support to find long-term housing. COVID-19 response motels are funded Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga. 

Use of COVID-19 response motels will be phased out as the people living in them are transitioned to more suitable accommodation.  

Contracted emergency housing refers to motels contracted by HUD to provide emergency housing. Contracted emergency housing also provides social support services for residents and 24/7 security services. Placement of whānau into the contracted motels is facilitated through the Ministry for Social Development (MSD) and the Rotorua Housing Hub – Te Pokapū.  

Find out more about contracted emergency housing here.