Our intentions: Supporting people in immediate housing need

Stable and safe housing is vitally important to people’s quality of life, including to their ability to participate in education, employment, and community life. 

This often requires providing more than a suitable place to live. It can also involve supporting people to address barriers (such as inadequate access to income and employment, and physical and mental health challenges) to having a stable home that enables them to lead more fulfilling and dignified lives. 

What we’re focusing on

We will look at how effectively the Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development work together and with other government departments to ensure that they understand people’s immediate housing needs so they can connect them to the appropriate support. 

To understand how government departments that work with people with specific needs and challenges collaborate, we will also look at how the Department of Corrections connects people leaving its area of responsibility and in need to the system of immediate housing support. 

We also want to understand how well government departments support people from communities that are disproportionately affected by housing deprivation and the barriers those people face in achieving secure and sustainable housing outcomes. 

The difference we expect to make

Our work will provide an independent view to Parliament and the public on how effectively these government departments are working together, and with providers, to support people in immediate housing need. 

We aim to identify and highlight good practice, and identify areas for improvement that the three government departments can make.

We expect to complete this work in the third quarter of 2025.

Please use the feedback form on the right if you’d like to speak to a staff member about this performance audit, make a suggestion, or ask a question.