社会发展部长卡梅尔·塞普洛尼（Hon Carmel Sepuloni）及住房部副部长克里斯·法弗易(Hon Kris Faafoi)共同表示，由于目前对终止租赁的限制已在6月25日的预警1级下解除，政府正在扩大对租金拖欠的援助，帮助因无法支付租金而面临被迫搬家的人。
“在疫情影响下，由于收入的暂时变化，人们可能累积了拖欠的租金。该援助将确保受影响的人可以支付欠款而不至于无家可归。”卡梅尔·塞普洛尼说。
2019年11月推出的租金欠款援助计划（Rent Arrears Assistance Housing Support Product）用以帮助人们偿还拖欠房东的租金。政府已使用疫情应急和恢复基金（COVID-19 Response and Recovery Funds ）进一步扩展范围，使援助金额翻一番，使申请更容易。租金拖欠援助的扩展期限为2020年7月6日至12月31日。
卡梅尔·塞普洛尼补充解释道，社会发展部提供了多种方法和计划来帮助人们降低住房成本，并且还可能为租房者提供其他帮助，例如“住房补助金（Accommodation Supplement）”。
住房部副部长克里斯·法弗易表示，在预警1级下，对人员流动和集会的限制已经取消，没理由在2020年6月25日之后继续对终止租约实施限制。
“这意味着从2020年6月26日开始，将恢复正常的合同终止规定。这些限制有助于最大程度地保护公共健康和维持租约。他们支持租户自我隔离并保持物理距离，以阻止病毒的传播。”
政府意识到，由于疫情的经济影响，房东和租户仍然面临着一段艰难时期。
“我们知道这些紧急政策很可能会影响某些租户的支付能力，并给房东带来持续的财务影响。虽然我们即将结束针对租户终止的保护期，但拖欠租金援助旨在帮助租户和房东在解决任何租金问题时帮助他们。”
编者注：
租金拖欠援助的两个临时更改是：
- 在52周的时间内将当前的最高应付金额从$2,000提高到$4,000。
- 使租金拖欠援助更容易获得。
在2020年7月6日至2020年12月31日期间对租金欠款援助住房支持产品进行了更改。此后，原始政策将再次适用。
此付款是可收回的，因此需要偿还。社会发展部将根据个人情况设置恢复率。
房东和租户可以随时协商减租或延期。但是，直到2020年9月25日（含）止，租金上涨冻结仍然存在。
《住宅租赁法》允许租约各方同意租户可以暂时支付较低的租金。这可能是在特定时间段内，或者直到发生特定事件为止。时间到后，租金将恢复为之前的金额。这不算作租金上涨，因此在六个月的冻结期内可以接受。
- 访问有关这些支持计划工作及收入局（Work and Income）网站:
- https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/covid-19/changes-to-how-we-work.html
- 访问住房和城市发展部（Ministry of Housing and Urban Development）有关租赁终止的网站:
- https://www.hud.govt.nz/residential-housing/covid-19-rent-freeze-and-tenancy-terminations/
- 阅读“租赁服务”网站上有关租金谈判讨论的指南:
- https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/rent-bond-and-bills/rent/guidance-for-discussion
（以上为简译，仅供参考，具体内容请见原文）
英文原文
Govt doubles rent arrears support astenancy termination restrictions lift
As current restrictions on tenancy terminations ends under Alert Level 1 on 25 June, the Government is extending and increasing Rent Arrears Assistance to support people at risk of being evicted because they are unable to pay rent, Minister for Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni, and Associate Housing Minister, Kris Faafoi, announced today.
“People may have accumulated rent arrears due to a temporary change in their income under the impacts of COVID-19. The Assistance will ensure people who may have built up a rental debt, can stay in their homes while they pay the rental arrears,” said Carmel Sepuloni.
“This support is available for a range of people including those who are working. Keeping people in their homes is a priority.”
In November 2019 the Rent Arrears Assistance Housing Support Product was introduced to provide people with financial support from MSD so they could pay back rent they owed to landlords. The Government has extended this using COVID-19 Response and Recovery Funds to double the amount of rent arrears assistance people can receive and making it easier for people to apply.
The extension of the Rent Arrears Assistance Housing Support Product is available from 6 July to 31 December 2020.
Carmel Sepuloni adds that MSD has a number of ways, and products, to help people with their housing costs and there may also be other assistance available for renters such as the Accommodation Supplement.
Associate Housing Minister, Kris Faafoi said that under Alert Level 1 restrictions on movement and gatherings have lifted, and it was no longer necessary or justified to extend the restrictions on tenancy terminations after 25 June 2020.
“This means the usual termination rules will apply from 26 June 2020.
“The termination restrictions helped to protect public health and sustain tenancies to the greatest extent possible. They supported tenants to self-isolate and maintain physical distancing in order to stop the spread of COVID-19.”
He added that the Government recognised there were still challenging times ahead for landlords and tenants as a result of the economic impacts of COVID-19.
“We took unprecedented measures to protect public safety, and the economic impact of COVID-19 is still unfolding. We know it is likely to affect the ability of some tenants to meet their rental obligations, with flow-on financial effects for landlords.
“While we’re ending the period of increased protections against tenancy terminations, the increased rent arrears assistance is aimed at helping both tenants and landlords while they work through any rent issues,” Kris Faafoi concluded.
