Housing Minister Phil Heatley says the court costs from a fight to evict three women from state houses in Pomare are not the fault of Housing New Zealand.
The agency has dropped a bid to remove Huia Tamaka, Robyn Winther and Billy Taylor, at a cost of more than $1 million.
Since 2009, the women, who are linked to the Mongrel Mob, have fought the eviction in five courts.
The Human Rights Review Tribunal had suggested Housing New Zealand reflect carefully about whether it needed to pursue the evictions any further.
Mr Heatley told Morning Report that anti-social behaviour in state housing will not be tolerated.
He said that from November on, evicted state house tenants will be unable to reapply for a state house within 12 months of the eviction.
