Photograph: 123RF

A rule change earlier this year appears to have led to a sharp increase in denials of emergency housing applications.

In August, 10.1 percent of all applications were rejected.

From 2019 until the end of last year, the falling rate in a month never exceeded 3.8 percent. It has slowly risen throughout the year, reaching 5.6 percent in July and then jumping in August.

Just over 12 percent of all applications in the 34 to 44 age group were rejected; This figure was twice the previous month. Just over 4 percent of applications from people ages 65 to 74 were rejected.

Zac Thomas, chief executive of Renters United, said the figures made a “mockery” of the government’s claims about emergency housing.

“Families are sleeping on the streets, in cars and under bridges due to the government’s ideological crusade against tenants. The sharp increase in downs, combined with the reintroduction of no-cause evictions, will only increase homelessness in Aotearoa New Zealand.”

Ministry of Social Development housing group chief executive Karen Hocking said ministers in March announced changes that would tighten emergency housing entry gates and strengthen processes for those entering emergency housing.

“This included increased scrutiny of whether MSD staff unreasonably contributed to the emergency shelter needs of clients applying for emergency shelter.

“Following a change in legislation in July, further changes were introduced in August to ensure emergency housing was for people who had no other housing options. This included new responsibilities for people who had been in emergency housing for more than a week.”

He said people spending their eighth night in emergency accommodation should make a good effort to find other housing by looking for accommodation to rent, getting help with private accommodation or staying with whānau or friends.

They were also required to contact a support service or budget or employment advisors at their assigned location and pay emergency housing contributions on time.

“If people fail to meet these responsibilities, there are two opportunities to remedy the situation before they are denied emergency housing.”

People will be given two written warnings and if a third occurs, their next emergency claim will be rejected for a 13-week period.

Greens MP Ricardo Menendez-March said the new criteria made the bar “higher and more prohibitive”.

“People should not be left to sofa surf, live in motels or on the streets because they cannot find private rental homes out of their reach in the midst of a housing crisis.

“The government has made it a goal to move people away from emergency housing without slowing down social housing construction and instead guaranteeing families adequate, stable housing.

“The Department for Social Development has a duty to ensure that homeless people who need assistance are supported, and the Government’s prohibitive emergency housing criteria are getting in the way of the provision of adequate housing.

“The Greens are calling on the government to focus on building sufficient public housing and remove new policies that make it harder to access emergency housing so families have the chance to put down roots in the community.”

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