About 100 protesters marched on Parliament on Wednesday demanding a moratorium on plans to sell off social housing.
The demonstrators from Auckland, Napier and Lower Hutt presented petitions to MPs from the Labour, Green and Mana parties.
They say Housing New Zealand homes are being demolished, relocated and sold off, while other families are being forced to live in over-crowded low-quality rentals.
Yvonne Dainty a tenant in the Auckland suburb of Glen Innes has been told that it is likely she will have to move out so her house can be relocated.
Ms Dainty says there has been no consultation with tenants about the process.
The protesters are calling for 20,000 new state houses to be built within two years.
