Issues of habitability, sheltering and the needs of populations following disasters is a key issue for emergency management, asset management, planning and prioritisation. Loss of habitability may result in the displacement of occupants from both residential and commercial buildings, with some of those displaced requiring temporary shelter, whereas some residents will prefer to shelter in place. The displacement of populations and assessment of needs following a disaster is a complex process that is influenced by many factors. These include physical factors (e.g. building damage, loss of utilities), social or demographic factors explaining relative levels of vulnerability, and decision-making by affected populations. We have developed a new model for estimating habitability, displacement and sheltering needs for tsunami (HDS-T). The model uses an additive scoring system incorporating both physical and demographic factors, weighted according to their relative influence. HDS-T is designed to be adaptable to other natural hazards and contexts, such as earthquakes. Further research is underway into developing a framework and model for assessing the needs of populations following disasters, expanding on the existing HDS-T model. One to two major NZ scenarios will be considered (e.g. Hikurangi earthquake and tsunami, Alpine Fault earthquake). The outcomes of this research are directed towards supporting decision-makers with rapid impact assessment information, to assist in planning and response to events.