The Importance of Housing Assistance on Reducing Youth Offending in New Zealand

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between housing assistance and youth offending in New Zealand (NZ). Using the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), we established three cohorts of youth aged 14–24 who were part of households that received the Emergency Housing Special Needs Grant (EHSNG), lived in public housing, or received the Accommodation Supplement (AS) between 2016 and 2022. We found that offending decreased significantly among young people living in public housing or receiving the AS compared with the general population. However, reductions were not significant among those receiving EHSNGs, highlighting the importance of stable housing assistance on reducing youth offending.