Eligibility criteria

Before applying for registration

You will need to discuss potential registration within your organisation, obtain the support of the Board, and consider the appropriate organisational structure, tenant cohort and the ongoing financial viability of the CHP, before contacting CHRA.

We recommend you discuss your application with Community Housing Aotearoa or Te Matapihi who may be able to help you decide whether registration is the right pathway for your organisation and to support you in the preparation of your application. Here are some additional resources that might help you decide if registration is right for your organisation:

Performance Standards and Guidelines, which sets out the Performance Standards that must be met and the supporting documentation that all applicants need to provide.
Guidance Notes, which explain specific regulatory requirements and how to meet them
the Public Housing Plan(external link), which will help you understand how your organisation might contribute to the broader housing system by providing housing of the type and in the locations desired by the Government.

Before you apply, we encourage you to discuss your housing plans with the funding teams at HUD. This will help you determine if your project is likely to attract public funding. You can contact the Housing Supply team at public_housing_panel_procurement@hud.govt.nz

To be eligible to register as a Community Housing Provider (CHP), you must meet our eligibility criteria and show that your organisation can meet the Performance Standards. To maintain registration, you must continue to demonstrate annually that you meet the Performance Standards. These standards provide the Government with an assurance that community housing tenants are housed appropriately, and their rights are protected.

To be eligible for registration as Class 1: Social Landlord:

You must be a housing provider with the objective of providing community rental housing and/or affordable rental housing or have detailed plans to establish such a provider.
Your governing body must, after reviewing the Performance Standards and Guidelines, support the application for registration.
CHRA must be satisfied that you have the capacity to meet and maintain compliance with the Performance Standards.

Exclusions from registration

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

Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities (formerly Housing New Zealand).
Local authorities and council-controlled organisations. A subsidiary of a local authority or council-controlled organisation may apply to register, so long as it is operating at arm’s length from the local authority. The subsidiary must be genuinely operating independently i.e. not part of the parent body’s corporate structure. This should be evident from its constitution, membership of its governing body, and its governance and financial management structures.

Encouraging diversity

CHRA welcomes applications from providers serving diverse communities, such as Māori and Pasifika providers, or providers serving specific tenant groups.

The same Performance Standards and Guidelines apply to all applicants, but registered CHP status is not a ‘one size fits all’ system.

For example, CHRA welcomes discussion with aspiring Māori CHPs to understand how their tikanga and organisational approach inform their organisational policies and process and meet the required Performance Standards.