Waiting list for social housing declined significantly in the September quarter

Property / news

The number of people on the waiting list for social housing has fallen for two consecutive quarters

14th Nov 22, 2:51pm by Greg Ninness

The number of applicants waiting for social housing dropped in the September quarter for the second consecutive quarter.

According to Ministry of Social Development's Housing Register, the number of applicants approved and waiting for social housing peaked at 26,868 at the end of March this year, declined slightly to 26,664 at the end of June then dropped more significantly to 24,996 at the end of September.

That means the number of applicants on the list is now down 7% from the March peak.

The June figure was the first time the number of applicants recorded on the register has declined since it was set up in September 2017. The fact the numbers have declined for two consecutive quarters, with the September decline reasonably substantial, suggests this may be the start of a downward trend.

The decline in the number of applicants waiting for housing occurred in most of the major urban centres, with Rotorua having the smallest decline of just 0.3% between March and September and Timaru the biggest at 20.5%. See the table below for all major centres.

The decline was also across most housing types classified by the number of bedrooms required, with demand for homes of 1-4 bedrooms posting declines of between 6.6% and 8.3%. Demand for homes with five or more bedrooms was the only housing category to post an increase, with demand for them up 4.5% between March and September.

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26 Comments

by K.W. | 14th Nov 22, 3:05pm 1668391556

They're just denying more people access to the public housing waitlist by closing their applications.

"System improvements are being undertaken to increase the capacity for register management. These improvements have resulted in the completion of one years’ worth of housing register conversations in 12 weeks and an increase of public housing applications with closure pending status. This trend is likely to continue over the next few months as improvements are completed."

https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-r…

There is an election coming up, they have to fudge the numbers somehow. Just like how they reduce the number of unemployed by shifting thousands of them off JobSeeker on to the single parent or permanent disability benefit.

by Baywatch | 14th Nov 22, 3:18pm 1668392307

These improvements have resulted in the completion of one years’ worth of housing register conversations in 12 weeks and an increase of public housing applications with closure pending status. This trend is likely to continue over the next few months as improvements are completed."

A closed application means I have been allocated a home and moved in? (That's how I read it)

by Nzdan | 14th Nov 22, 6:46pm 1668404809

They're probably increasing the number of "Pre-Housing Conversations" due to an increase in the number of public houses available. But it's all just "electioneering" in K.W.'s world, maybe he/she could clarify what sort of time horizon or cut off date is needed for Government initiatives to not be deemed as electioneering.

https://www.hud.govt.nz/stats-and-insight/the-government-housing-dashbo…

by K.W. | 14th Nov 22, 9:53pm 1668416007

No, they are having "conversations" not finding houses for them, with the outcome of that conversation being a rejection of their application. They didnt just magic up a years worth of public housing in 12 weeks. Basically, if you are currently living somewhere they deem you are not in need of public housing - from Megan Woods "in addition, MSD [the Ministry of Social Development] are improving the information they get from those on the housing register so if they are safely housed, they are removed from it.” https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/public-housing-waitlist-drops-for-only-se…

Never mind that you and your 6 kids are sharing a bedroom in a 2 bedroom house that your mother lives in lol - you're housed so you can be removed from the list.

by Nzdan | 15th Nov 22, 2:47am 1668433630

Can you post a link to the article of the 6 kids sharing 1 of 2 bedrooms in a house? Or was this fabricated to support your thinly veiled anti-Labour tirade?

Honestly though, a reduction in the public housing register and you're not happy about it? Would you rather see the waiting list grow? Circumstances change, some people who were on the waiting list may have found suitable affordable housing or.....shock horror.......found jobs that mean they can afford a private rental.

by hootenany | 15th Nov 22, 6:36am 1668447416

I think K.W. would like to see real reduction in the register not it done by some bureaucratic trick. If what KW is saying is true or not I have no idea.

by Nzdan | 15th Nov 22, 7:29am 1668450555

I'd just like to know what sort of bureaucratic trick is involved to reduce the numbers.

If by bureaucratic trick, we are talking about the bureaucrats actually getting off their bums and tidying up the register then yes it is quite a trick. But to claim it's a slight of hand is unfound.

by Eschaton | 14th Nov 22, 4:47pm 1668397670

Straight out of the National party play book.

by Der_Golem | 15th Nov 22, 10:05am 1668459926

I share your suspicions and some transparency on methods and system improvements would be good: is this a real decline or have the assessment criteria and definitions simply been changed?

The figure that seems to be missing (I think) from the MSD numbers is the number of people actually placed in long-term, appropriate accommodation, rather than just a reduction in numbers that's mute as to cause.

by TonyBarnett | 15th Nov 22, 3:28pm 1668479295

From the link provided it states, “Note: Households living in Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua are not included in this reporting. The new model is being piloted in Rotorua. Reporting of the number of households in CEH is currently unavailable.”

The government is just fiddling the numbers to make them look good.

They are trying to reduce the total numbers reported in emergency housing by removing Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) numbers.

Emergency Housing numbers now do not include Contracted Housing numbers (CEH) because they are no longer considered Emergency Housing.

Somehow they can calculate the new Emergency Housing numbers which exclude CEH, but they do not divulge what the CEH numbers are & therefore you can’t work out if the situation has actually improved.

This is clearly attempting to fudge how bad Emergency Housing numbers are in NZ.

by Carinaz | 14th Nov 22, 3:14pm 1668392078

Waiting list for social housing declined significantly in the September quarter

Putting everyone by paying premium rent .........so has to decline.

Quite a few, have given their house on rent through soical housing as getting 15% to 25% more rent.

by Uncle Bulgaria | 14th Nov 22, 3:29pm 1668392967

The main reason it went up so much (and no I'm not a massive Labour fanboy) is that they relaxed the eligibility massively from National's settings. They even warned that they expected a rise in numbers.

Maybe the right thing to do but also a bad case of political naivety in the warm afterglow of an election win.

I agree with K.W. that the recent reduction is probably mostly due to them making it harder to apply again.

by Chaosinflesh | 14th Nov 22, 3:54pm 1668394484

If I remember correctly, the list got down to ~4,000 under National. But that wasn't because people were housed. They just made it next to impossible to get on the list.

I wonder if we've seen a decrease in people living in cars, or abusive situations, over the last 5 years.

I have family members who rent to Kaianga Ora, and they like it. Higher wear and tear, but the houses are low quality rental stock, and they haven't had to implement all the new landlord rules, and have the luxury of being able to kick people out with short notice (they tell me they just tell K.O. the tenant is unsuitable, and they're moved on within the week).

by kiwiana02 | 14th Nov 22, 4:27pm 1668396469

How lovely for them.

by nigelh | 14th Nov 22, 4:07pm 1668395226

Maybe a motel is classified as housing. That should reduce the numbers quite a bit. Perhaps even closer to the election that's what'll happen.

by HouseMouse | 14th Nov 22, 4:20pm 1668396039

Number fudging. Disingenuous.

by bw | 14th Nov 22, 4:37pm 1668397066

Thought.

"Look. I know a lot of you went into Investment Property on the understanding that interest deductibility was to go. But we're scrapping that. However....to lessen the blow, here's some enhanced benefit recipients that can occupy your dwellings as a sop"

by Cheetahlegs66 | 14th Nov 22, 4:40pm 1668397209

NZ has more than enough social housing. The current stock is being tenanted by a significant minority who abuse the privilege and haven’t made an effort to improve themselves despite years in subsidised housing. The classic ‘ but it’s our home, we’ve been here 20 years’ makes me want to vomit.

by Baywatch | 14th Nov 22, 5:25pm 1668399950

But some of our best and brightest have come from State House benefits - John Key lived at 19 Hollyford Ave in Burnside with his mother Ruth from age seven!

by RickStrauss | 15th Nov 22, 8:48am 1668455314

Paula Bennett also got her start from the taxpayer, and continued that way for years.

by JCB123 | 15th Nov 22, 8:43pm 1668498185

And she doesn't live in one now. I would bet that following her improved fortunes she left their state house for someone else to use.

by JCB123 | 15th Nov 22, 8:42pm 1668498129

And he doesn't live in one now. I would bet that following his improved fortunes the Key family left their state house for someone else to use.

by PocketAces | 15th Nov 22, 6:55am 1668448511

There are people, not just a few, who will require social housing for their entire lives.

by hotwired | 14th Nov 22, 5:59pm 1668401992

Yes but John Keys mother is Jewish, I can only imagine the conversations that she had with her son.

by fra99le | 15th Nov 22, 11:56am 1668466567

Please explain what you mean by that?

by Von Metternich | 15th Nov 22, 10:50am 1668462614

Used to mow the lawns and maintain the properties of Housing New Zealand tenants for a while over summer.

You have no idea how terribly these people maintain their houses or how misallocated these tenancies are. You would encounter some pervert tenant flashing you (men and women), gang member tenants thinking you were cops (and once you tell them you are here to mow their lawns, they love you and help you clear the lawn of debris) and you would find broken glass, rusty metal pieces and even dangerous chemicals spread across the yard, every single day.

The few times I was inside these places, I encountered a family who had cut a square fire pit into the floor of their kitchen for roasting pigs (by the smell) which had obviously been used recently. This was a wooden 1940s house with newspaper insulation in places. I also encountered grow-ops with amateur, obviously unapproved wiring into the ceiling at least twice.

The sort of people in social housing are genuinely the worst possible tenants. They have below market rents, never maintain the place themselves. No way those properties turn a profit after the damage. They also don't leave until the house is unlivable or until they are forced to.