State tenants kicked out because of drug use will be compensated before Christmas, but advocates say it doesn't go far enough and more needs to be done to re-house people.
Positive methamphetamine tests, that were later debunked, resulted in Housing New Zealand removing hundreds of families from its properties.
Housing New Zealand has since apologised, saying its decision to evict tenants for meth contamination was wrong.
It's now promising compensation to almost 800 families by the end of November.
The grants are to secure a new tenancy, connect the power, move any furniture and replace abandoned items.
"The grants will range from around about 4,000 dollars to 15-thousand dollars, depending on bedroom size," Andrew Clapham of Housing NZ told 1 NEWS.
The grants won't affect benefit payments.
But compensation for emotional harm has been ruled out.
Kathleen Paraha of Auckland Action Against Poverty says Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern needs to "chase up" compensation for emotional harm, "because these people are suffering".
In a startling admission, Housing NZ admits it does not know how many of the families evicted remain without a home.
"We just don't have the answer to that question right now. That will become clearer when we start contacting the 780 people," Mr Clapham said.
Ms Paraha said Housing NZ "need to get off their butts and do their jobs".
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