Eligibility criteria

Before applying for registration

Prior to contacting us, you’ll need to:

discuss potential registration within your organisation and obtain the support of the Board to apply
consider the appropriate organisational structure, tenant cohort and the ongoing financial viability of becoming a community housing provider (CHP). All applicants must be legally established entities, prior to lodging an application
check you meet the eligibility criteria below.

If your organisation doesn’t have a housing strategy that includes delivering social housing within the next one to two years, we would encourage you to consider if registration is right for you at this time. Partnering with an existing CHP may be a good option for your organisation.

Community Housing Aotearoa or Te Matapihi may also be able to help you decide whether registration is the right pathway for your organisation.

Community Housing Aotearoa(external link)

Te Matapihi(external link)

Before you apply, we also encourage you to discuss your housing plans with the funding teams at Te Tūāpapa Kura Kainga – Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. This will help you determine if your project is likely to attract public funding.

You can contact the Housing and Support team at public_housing_panel_procurement@hud.govt.nz.

To be eligible to register as a CHP, you must meet the following eligibility criteria:

you must be a housing provider with the object of providing community housing, affordable rental housing or both in your empowering document and have detailed plans to provide long-term housing
your governing body must review the Performance Standards and Guidelines and support your application for registration
we must be satisfied that registration is suitable for your organisation.

Exclusions from registration

The following organisations are currently excluded from registration as a Class 1: Social Landlord.

Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities
Local authorities and council-controlled organisations.

A subsidiary of a local authority or council-controlled organisation may apply to register, so long as they operate at arm’s length from the local authority. This should be evident from the empowering document, membership of the governing body, and governance and financial management structures.

Additional resources

Here are some additional resources that might help you decide if registration is right for your organisation.

Performance standards and guidelines set out performance standards that must be met and the supporting documentation that all applicants need to provide.

Performance standards and guidelines

Guidance notes explain specific regulatory requirements and how to meet them.

Guidance notes