Notice is given of the making of the following instruments by the Associate Minister of Housing.

Copies of the instruments are available for free at: https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/about-msd/legislation/notice-of-change.html.

These instruments come into force on 26 August 2024.

The Emergency Housing Grants Programme is made under section 101 of the Social Security Act 2018 and provides assistance for emergency housing that was provided under the Special Needs Grants Programme and makes the following changes:

• introduces a new responsibility framework which changes the eligibility criteria for emergency housing grants;
• removes the ability to make emergency housing grants recoverable; and
• clarifies the settings for security deposit grants.

The responsibility framework provides for responsibilities that an applicant must comply with to continue receiving grants for emergency housing from their 8th night in emergency housing for the same emergency housing event. The framework also sets out the consequences for not complying with those responsibilities, including imposing a non-entitlement period, and when grants can be made to applicants during that non-entitlement period.

The Instrument amending Ministerial Direction and Welfare Programmes (Emergency Housing) 2024 is made under sections 7 and 101 of the Social Security Act 2018 and makes the following changes:

• revokes the provisions in the Special Needs Grants Programme that provide for emergency housing assistance, which will now be provided for under the Emergency Housing Grants Programme; and
• inserts transitional provisions into the Special Needs Grants Programme to ensure that emergency housing assistance, provided under that programme before 26 August 2024, continues to be subject to the terms of the relevant revoked or amended clauses after that date; and
• makes consequential amendments to the Ministerial Direction on the Redirection of Benefit Payments and the Flexible Funding Programme to ensure the amended provisions continue to operate as intended once the Emergency Housing Grants Programme comes into force.

The instruments are secondary legislation for the purposes of the Legislation Act 2019 and are administered by the Ministry of Social Development.

Dated this 24th day of July 2024.

Hon TAMA POTAKA, Associate Minister of Housing.