(Picture caption: Anyone who has a current or expected accommodation need following the Auckland floods are urged to register their details with the Temporary Accommodation Service HERE.)
Support is being offered to those people displaced by the severe flooding and landslips in the Auckland region with the Temporary Accommodation Service (TAS) up and running.
This service is now accepting registrations for people who cannot return to their homes and need assistance finding temporary accommodation, Minister of Housing Hon Megan Woods says.
“The team will work with every household in the Auckland region who needs their service, to connect them with available accommodation,” Minister Woods adds.
Working closely with local authorities to assess the damage, the TAS will establish how many homes have been affected and scope the longer-term need in the region.
Temporary accommodation is different to shelter and emergency accommodation, which is provided for a short period of time by civil defence and emergency management agencies.
It is used for a short to medium term, providing households with accommodation while repairs are undertaken following a natural disaster.
Wherever possible TAS uses existing, undamaged residential housing as temporary accommodation.
Where there is a shortage of rental accommodation in the affected area, TAS procures and deploys additional housing supply for temporary accommodation to support residential housing recovery.
Minister Woods says at this early stage, household needs are still being assessed, and a fuller picture will develop over the upcoming weeks as more people register with the service, but the level of damage and displacement indicates that TAS support is needed in the Auckland region.
“The TAS Matching and Placement Team is contacting those in Civil Defence emergency accommodation to understand their needs and find them a suitable accommodation.
“I urge anyone who has a current or expected need following the Auckland floods to register their details at www.temporaryaccommodation.mbie.govt.nz.
“Alternatively, email [email protected] or call 0508 754 163 to discuss your requirements.
“I would also urge tenants and landlords of rental properties to visit www.tenancy.govt.nz to familiarise themselves with their tenancy rights and obligations following an event like this.
“This service has a proven record of responding successfully to a range of natural disasters, including in the Christchurch and Kaikōura earthquakes and the Napier and Westport floods,” she says.
Minister for Emergency Management Hon Kieran McAnulty says the Government will continue to support communities badly hit by the flooding and storm damage in the upper North Island.
“Government agencies, councils, relevant ministers and sector groups are working together to assess the storm’s impact, and determine where support is needed most,” Minister McAnulty says.
To register for TAS help:
Pacific response
Remember, if you know someone who needs support as a result of the flooding event, we have a dedicated MPP webpage with everything people need to know, including links to the lead response agencies and community support resources.