Full Breakdown
Kainga Ora Tenancy Terminations Affect Over 600 Children
8/13/2026, 2:54:07 AM
Tenancy Cancellations Involving Families
Data released to Labour in response to parliamentary questions shows that more than 600 children have been caught up in Kainga Ora tenancy terminations over the past three years. Roughly 27 % of the tenancies that included children were ended because the adult tenant could not pay rent, about half were terminated after the tenant and children left or abandoned the home, and 12 % were ended for disruptive behaviour that affected neighbours.
Reasons Cited by Kainga Ora
Nick Maling, Kainga Ora’s general manager of national services for homes and communities, said terminations are not taken lightly. He explained that when issues such as rent debt or disruptive conduct arise, Kainga Ora staff work with tenants and their whanau to identify underlying drivers and may refer families to specialist social, health, or budgeting services. If tenants continue to breach obligations under the Residential Tenancies Act, the agency proceeds with ending the tenancy.
Scale of Kainga Ora’s Housing Portfolio
Kainga Ora manages more than 78,000 tenancies, providing homes for over 200,000 people, nearly half of whom are children. In the previous financial year the agency placed 6,815 households from the Ministry of Social Development housing register into its properties, including 8,500 children.
Official Responses and Political Criticism
Labour’s housing spokesman Kieran McAnulty characterised the eviction figures as evidence that the National-led coalition is pushing vulnerable families deeper into poverty and contributing to rising homelessness. Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka, whose office released the data, did not respond to requests for comment by the deadline.
Potential Impact on Child Homelessness
The combination of rent-related terminations, abandonments, and behaviour-related evictions raises concerns about the stability of housing for children. Critics argue that without robust tracking of displaced children, the risk of homelessness among this group may increase, undermining the government’s stated focus on child wellbeing.
