1976 NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE, No. 70 3 JULY 2014

approves the following welfare programme for special assistance.

Programme

1. Title—This programme is the Housing Support Assistance Programme.

2. Commencement—This programme comes into force on 1 July 2014.

3. Purpose—The purpose of this programme is to provide special assistance by way of specified financial products to help alleviate hardship in relation to housing.

Part 1

General Provisions

4. Interpretation—(1) In this programme, unless the context otherwise requires:

Act means the Social Security Act 1964.

agency has the same meaning as in section 2(1) of the HRTMA.

alternative housing means housing located in New Zealand other than social housing.

applicant—

(a) means a person who applies for any special assistance under this programme; and

(b) includes a person who has entered into an agreement with the chief executive under clause 30(1)(c); and

(c) where the context requires, includes a person to whom any special assistance under this programme is granted.

applicable person, in relation to any housing, means every person to whom the housing is let or to be let and includes the spouse or partner of any such person.

beneficiary has the same meaning as in section 61E(1) of the Act.

bond has the same meaning as in section 2(1) of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986.

bond grant means the non-recoverable special assistance under subpart 1 of Part 2.

cash assets has the same meaning as in section 61E(1) of the Act but does not include any special assistance under this programme.

cash assets limit, in relation to a person, means—

(a) in the case of a person who is married or in a civil union or in a de facto relationship, the cash assets of the person and his or her spouse or partner that are equal to or less than the amount in section 61EC(3)(a) of the Act:

(b) in the case of a sole parent, the cash assets of the person that are equal to or less than the amount in section 61EC(3)(a) of the Act:

(c) in any other case, the cash assets of the person that are equal to or less than the amount in section 61EC(3)(b) of the Act.

disadvantaged in the housing market, in relation to a person, means difficulty in obtaining rental housing because of—

(a) unlawful discrimination in relation to the provision of land, housing or other accommodation under section 53 of the Human Rights Act 1993; or

(b) other discrimination that is not a prohibited ground of discrimination within the meaning of section 21 of that Act; or

(c) unproven tenancy ability; or

(d) unproven payment ability (for example, lack of credit history).

52-week period, in relation to a particular kind of assistance under this programme, means a period of 52 weeks commencing on the date on which a payment of assistance of that kind is first made to an applicant or his or her spouse or partner.

GST means goods and services tax within the meaning of the Goods and Services Tax Act 1985.

housing, in relation to any person, means—

(a) premises that the person occupies or intends to occupy as a home; and

(b) as a tenant or owner of, as a boarder or lodger in, or as a licensee of the premises.

HRTMA means the Housing Restructuring and Tenancy Matters Act 1992.

income limit, in relation to a person, means the income of the person and his or her spouse or partner that is equal to or less than—

(a) in the case of a non-beneficiary, the amount of income that would prevent payment of an accommodation supplement to the person (under clause 2 of Schedule 18 of the Act) if the person resided in Area 1 (as defined in that Schedule):

(b) in the case of a beneficiary who is being paid New Zealand superannuation or a veteran’s pension, the appropriate amount set out in Part 2 of Schedule 31 of the Act.

letting fees assistance is the recoverable special assistance under subpart 3 of Part 2.

Ministerial Direction on Eligibility for Social Housing means the direction given to the agency on 14 April 2014 pursuant to section 102(2)(a) of the HRTMA.

moving assistance is the recoverable special assistance under subpart 2 of Part 2.

moving costs has the meaning in clause 19.

non-beneficiary has the same meaning as in section 61E(1) of the Act.

other social housing, in relation to a person, means social housing other than the social housing the person occupies as a home.

residential criteria means the criteria specified in clause 7.

social housing and social housing provider have the same meanings as in section 2(1) of the HRTMA.

sustainability has the same meaning as in clause 3 of the Ministerial Direction on Eligibility for Social Housing.

tenancy agreement means a tenancy agreement within the meaning of section 2(1) of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 that meets the requirements of section 13 of that Act.

tenancy costs, in relation to tenancy costs cover, means costs that a tenant is liable to pay a landlord at the termination of a tenancy either under the terms of the tenancy agreement or by order of the Tenancy Tribunal under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986.

tenancy costs cover means the recoverable special assistance under subpart 5 of Part 2.

tenant, in relation to any housing, means every person to whom the housing is let or to be let.

transition to alternative housing grant means a grant of non-recoverable special assistance under subpart 4 of Part 2.