A Temporary Accommodation Service is being activated for Edgecumbe residents displaced by the floods.

The government will collect registrations from people with nowhere to live and link them to accommodation.

Building and Construction Minister Nick Smith said people may be housed in state homes and family baches once they know how many people need support.

"The difficult part is assessing what the numbers are on both fronts so that we're able to match up and see what level of demand there's going to be for further accommodation," he said.

Dr Smith said the government has provided $400,000 for the fund "to provide both the information technology and the people on the ground."

"I urge anyone who has a current or expected need following the Edgecumbe floods to register their details at www.temporaryaccommodation.mbie.govt.nz. Alternatively, call 0800 779 997 to discuss your requirements.

"I would also urge tenants and landlords of rental properties to visit Tenancy NZ to familiarise themselves with their tenancy rights and obligations following an event like this."

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The service continues to provide support to households in Kaikoura and the surrounding regions following the November 2016 Kaikoura earthquake. It received 128 registrations from households there. The same team also helped more than 6500 households affected by the Canterbury earthquakes find temporary accommodation, more than 1100 of which were in government-established villages.