To understand the size and scale of the workers’ accommodation needs as they relate to housing pressures (the private market and social housing) in the greater Christchurch area, it is necessary to get an indication of trends in supply, price and affordability of construction workers’ accommodation in the region. A shortage of temporary accommodation has become a real concern for many construction organisations engaged in repairs and rebuild in Christchurch. A research initiative from the Resilient Organisations research programme responds to this concern by surveying construction companies about their accommodation demand and also asked accommodation providers about the supply. Evidence from both construction companies (demand) and accommodation suppliers (supply) provide insights into the complexity of accommodation needs and how they interact and respond. Resilient Organisations aims to present up‐to‐date qualitative and quantitative data on what the shortages will be – short‐term or long‐term, across demand organisations (engineering, construction, building suppliers, other services industries), supply sectors (tourism operators, private rental market, commercial housing market) and at varied income levels