Housing NZ - What’s the deal?

hi Steph, I can't answer many of your questions but do know that housing NZ is doing new subdivisions so the houses in those are definitely good healthy living conditions
There's one lot just recently finished and another one going in near where I work, which is not a flash area but there are a lot worse places out this way.

heck you can be working and still get a HNZ house, but the rent does go up the more your earning.. but like Alia said, you go on a waiting list in order of priority so those with a higher priority get first choice.

We're in a HNZ house that we've outgrown at present, and currently on their dreaded waiting list to get into a bigger house.. so I would suggest if you are looking at getting into a HNZ house do the paper work ASAP so at least you'll have a foot in the door

Theres HNZ houses a few streets back from us, they've recently redone all the gardens and repainted them.

The company that I work for are sub contracted to the company that does alot of the maintenance for HNZ. They are all over the place.

Good luck.

Rents are charged at a 1/4 of your income as someone stated....but....

Its 25% of income up to $365 (this figure may have changed in the last 2 years since I had a HNZ home)...

Then its 50% of income over this amount up to the market rent.

And...if you receive family assistance via IRD they take about $11-12 (approx) for that too.

We were living in a HNZ house when I had Maya, it was in Orakei. Some parts of Orakei were/are grotty and revolting but we were on a street where there were a combination of HNZ and private rentals and homeowners.

In all honesty tho, if it's just for you and Lucas, your chances of even getting a look in are pretty slim. The waiting lists in Auck are huge, and like someone else said they put you on a priority scale. In Auck at the moment they are pretty much only assigning houses to those at the highest end of the priority scale. The problem they have is that once people get into a HNZ house they don't give it up and HNZ can't evict them just coz there financial circumstances change which means there are families living in HNZ houses and earning good money, altho they do pay market rent in that case. They are building new HNZ houses but not fast enough to cut the waiting times. I had a friend with 4 kids stuck in a 2brm for nearly 2 years before she could get a transfer to a 3brm coz none were available, and that's in Glen Innes which is grotty.

Being a solo mum with only one child, they'll say that you can either stay with your parents or share a flat with someone else which makes you low priority.

Sucks huh! We only had one coz Willie got it when he was a solo dad back in the days when HNZ charged market rent so there wasn't as much demand. But as soon as he gave it up not long after we split up he had bugger all chance of getting another one.

AliaDawn wrote: Might just be that they're never available - cause we were told to pretty much not even bother trying for somewhere *in* wellington, and that Petone was our closest bet. (that was when mike was deciding to work or study first, and where)

Without knowing for sure, I'd say that you are right with the lack of availability. I'm sure there is a huuuuuge waiting list... especially in the city.

We went and talked with a lovely lady at Housing NZ today, and she told me that it's much better to go into a private rental, although the rent will be higher, my DPB will allow for that & I will be entitled to the Accom Supplement which should cover it depending on rent etc.

I basically already knew that, and it's much safer. She even told me herself she wouldn't feel safe placing Lucas & I in any of the State Houses in Papakura area she deals with as they can be quite 'rough'. I really appreciated her honesty.

And yup the waiting lists are HUGE!!!!!

So I'm now on the lookout for rental properties. As soon as one takes my eye I will go have a look and apply

I have a fair idea where Valentine Street is in Papakura, definitely don't want to live there...

Did you check out those links I gave you the other night Steph? Good luck with the search

Quinovic don't charge a letting fee either.