Financial support will be extended to more displaced homeowners following the string of severe weather events that hit New Zealand in late 2022 and early 2023, the Government said today.
Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston said it will focus on homeowners in "genuine need" and wasn't for those currently getting Temporary Accommodation Assistance (TAA) from the Ministry of Social Development (MSD).
The eligibility criteria for TAA is narrow and targets a specific group of homeowners facing two sets of unavoidable accommodation costs.
The weather events included flooding in the top of the South Island in August 2022, the Auckland floods and Cyclone Gabrielle.
“There is funding set aside to help homeowners impacted by these weather events and we want to make sure that gets to those who are facing significant hardship," Upston said.
“Some people have been declined for this financial support because of circumstances beyond their control.”
That includes owners of homes that have not been red or yellow stickered, but councils have acknowledged they aren’t safe to live in, or those who could not get insurance cover for their house due to damage caused by earlier weather incidents.
“I’ve asked MSD to look at those who have been declined Temporary Accommodation Assistance in the past and see what changes would need to be made to allow more discretion for granting payments in cases of exceptional circumstances.”
Officials are also looking into the potential for greater discretion for more complex ownership structures like trusts, but that will take some time.
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