19 JUNE 2014 NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE, No. 65 1865

4. Continued Eligibility for Social Housing—(1) For a person to continue to be eligible to be allocated social housing he or she:

   (a) must meet the residency qualifications in clause 5; and

   (b) must meet the income and asset thresholds in clause 6, except as provided for in subclause 6.3; and

   (c) must have a housing need of a kind set out in clause 7.

5. Residential Qualifications—(1) The basic residential qualifications are that the person is ordinarily resident in New Zealand and:

   (a) is a New Zealand citizen; or

   (b) is a permanent resident who has been in New Zealand for more than two years since he or she became a permanent resident.

   (2) A person is deemed to have met the basic residential qualifications in subclause 5.1 if he or she is eligible for, and receiving, a main benefit.

6. Income and Asset Thresholds—(1) A person must continue to meet the income and asset thresholds in Schedule 2.

   (2) The income and assets of a person include the income and assets of any other person who would, together with the person, be an applicable person in relation to any social housing that may be allocated to the person.

   (3) Where a person does not continue to meet the income and asset thresholds in subclause 6.1 but continues to meet the criteria in clause 7, the agency may, in its discretion, determine that person as eligible for social housing.

   (4) Despite the definition of cash assets in section 61E of the Social Security Act 1964, if the agency is satisfied that a person, including an applicable person, has not realised any assets available for the personal use of the person or the applicable person, the agency may treat those assets as the cash assets of the person or applicable person for the purposes of Schedule 2.

7. Housing Need—(1) A person must continue to have a persistent housing need that is:

   (a) serious; or

   (b) severe and must be addressed immediately.

   (2) In determining whether a person continues to have a housing need in subclause 7.1, the agency must have regard to the following factors:

   (a) Affordability;

   (b) accessibility;

   (c) sustainability.

Schedule 1

Calculation of Affordability Formula

A reference to "person" includes any other person who would, together with the person, be an applicable person in relation to any social housing that may be allocated to the person.

Schedule 2

Income and Asset Thresholds

Part 1. Income

(a) For single persons who have no spouse or partner and no dependent children:

(i) 1.5 x the net weekly living alone rate of New Zealand Superannuation set out in Schedule 1, clause 1(a) of the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001.

(b) For any other persons:

(i) 1.5 x the net weekly married rate of New Zealand Superannuation set out in Schedule 1, clause 1(c) of the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001.

Part 2. Assets

A person must have cash assets (within the meaning of section 61E of the Social Security Act 1964) under 10% of the national median house price as determined and updated by the Agency, from time to time, with reference to the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ).

Dated at Wellington this 11th day of June 2014.

HON BILL ENGLISH, Minister of Finance.

HON PAULA BENNETT, Minister for Social Development.

HON DR NICK SMITH, Minister of Housing.