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Our Strategies

Strategy: More accessible and connected services

Social Services Cluster
The Social Services Cluster aims to better integrate the services of the Ministry of Social Development, Child, Youth and Family Services, Housing New Zealand Corporation and the Department of Building and Housing for common clients.

The cluster enables us to develop practical and effective ways of working together. We are committed to working with each other, and with other government and non-government agencies, to help deliver the best possible results.

Our commitment to working together recognises that our clients often have multiple needs that are best addressed together, instead of being dealt with by different agencies.

The Department is working with other members of the cluster on implementing the New Zealand Housing Strategy and other strategies to achieve results for shared clients. An example of this approach is the Care to Independence project. This project involves the Department working with the Ministry of Social Development and Housing New Zealand Corporation to better support young people moving from institutional care to independent living.

What we will do

We are committed to providing high-quality services that are accessible to our clients and connected to the different communities we serve.

We will:

  • provide improved access to services for our clients in ways that better suit them and support them to operate with confidence
  • work as a network with other state agencies so there is ‘no wrong door'to state services
  • ensure our services are connected to the different communities we serve
  • work to lower transaction costs for our clients.

Why we will do it

Intermediate Outcome

Confident owners, tenants and users.

For the building and housing sector to operate well, our clients need to be able to use services that assist them to transact with confidence. Our clients need to be able to:

  • find the right information easily to make informed decisions
  • be aware of and understand their rights and obligations
  • have access to efficient and effective services to resolve disputes.

How we will do it

We will:

  • implement new service delivery models for Tenancy Services and the Weathertight Homes Resolution Service
  • provide advice to the Government on options for an integrated approach to tenancy, homeowner and building disputes
  • work with the other Social Services Cluster agencies to better connect our services for common clients and provide greater ease of access.

Housing Strategy
The Government is committed to ensuring those on low and modest incomes or with special housing needs receive the help they require to find and stay in affordable, good quality housing.

The Government's housing strategy sets out the priorities for housing and a programme of action over the next 10 years. It covers sustainable housing supply, assistance and affordability, home ownership, the private rental sector, housing quality, sector capability and meeting diverse needs.

The Department is part of the steering group overseeing the strategy.

What we will deliver

Over the next 3 years we will:

  • enhance the performance of the Weathertight Homes Resolution Service (WHRS) by:
    • streamlining the management of the overall WHRS process
    • improving the effectiveness and efficiency of each stage within the WHRS process (assessment, mediation and adjudication)
    • allowing homeowners to claim for probable weathertightness damage as well as evident damage to their houses
    • introducing a ‘class action’ approach to help with registering claims and resolving disputes for owners of units within multi-unit apartment complexes
  • further address the legacy of non-weathertight buildings, in addition to measures already under way as the Building Act 2004 is implemented, by introducing measures to encourage and facilitate early repair of buildings so that repair work is carried out according to best practice
  • work with members of the Social Services Cluster to implement the New Zealand Housing Strategy and other strategies to achieve shared outcomes for common clients
  • implement a new service-delivery approach for dispute resolution within Tenancy Services
  • monitor and evaluate the changes to how Tenancy Services are delivered
  • work with and through other organisations to provide education and information to target groups in the rental housing market
  • consider ways to improve access to housing for people with disabilities.

How our outputs link to the strategy

Output Expense Output
Residential Tenancy Services Bond ManagementResidential Tenancy Dispute ResolutionResidential Tenancy Public Information and EducationTenancy Tribunal AdministrationState Housing Appeals Authority Administration
Weathertight Homes Resolution Service Weathertight Homes Claims AssessmentDispute Resolution Implementation of WHRS Changes