A mother says she and her two young children have been forced to move out of their Auckland home, after a volatile and violent former inmate moved in next door.

Due to fears for her family's safety, Work and Income helped her find alternative accommodation, but the only option was at a nearby marae.

The young Auckland mum, who Newshub has agreed not to identify, is now living at a marae.

"I've lost all faith in anything," she said.

"Tomorrow we could be dead because he's still out."

She says it all began a few months ago when her new neighbour started smoking meth on the balcony.

The nightmare situation came to a head she says when he started threatening her children, aged just one and two, including threatening to cut one of their throats.

But it didn't end there. She says she then came home to find her flat had been ransacked, the hot water cylinder ripped out of the wall, and the whole house flooded.

"The rest of our belongings were pretty much water damaged and if not water damaged just completely ruined," she said.

"My son still says 'mummy can we go home' and we don't have a home."

Her neighbour's since been arrested and is facing multiple charges, including threatening to kill and harassment.

The former inmate has more than 20 previous convictions dating back to 1993, and was recently jailed for 11 months for beating his former partner.

Yet after appearing in Court on the most recent charges, he not only got bail but he was bailed to the same address.

The woman's former partner says that's ridiculous.

"A good person is being made to run and hide. I'd like to see justice. I'd like to see the NZ Police do what they should and the NZ Court system do their job right."

The Ministry of Social Development confirmed it helped the family move to the marae after learning of their plight.

They describe it as "short term" and while the young mum is grateful for that help, she doesn't know how or when she'll get another place for her children to call home.

Newshub.