Frames go up on first KiwiBuild houses

The first KiwiBuild homes are now under construction in Papakura, says Minister of Housing and Urban Development Phil Twyford.

The 18 three and four bedroom homes are the first houses to be built under the Government’s KiwiBuild programme. The houses are part of the McLennan Development on the site of former Defence Force land. The site became available for KiwiBuild after private developers were unable to finance purchasing the land.

“I am incredibly proud to announce that the building of the first KiwiBuild homes is underway”, Phil Twyford said.

“These first 18 homes will be ready for their families in August. A ballot, open to first homebuyers, to purchase these homes will be launched closer to that time.

“A total of 30 KiwiBuild houses are projected to be built on the site by the end of 2018, with the possibility of more in the following stages of the development.

“We are delivering on our promise of affordable starter homes for families. While the average Auckland house costs over a million dollars, these standalone homes have an expected price of $579,000 for a three bedroom home and $649,000 for a four bedroom home.

“I have been working with Housing New Zealand since late last year on getting the first KiwiBuild homes built at McLennan. Housing New Zealand had been unable to get private developers at an affordable price point. So, we seized the opportunity to build KiwiBuild homes, rather than just watch the grass grow.

“National’s plans for unaffordable houses at McLennan fell through. Without KiwiBuild, this land would be sitting empty today. Instead, we are putting up good homes for families to live in.

“Now, as the frames start to go up, is a fitting time to announce these are the first KiwiBuild homes.

“The Government’s commitment to upgrading Mill Road and building a third main rail line will help to improve Papakura’s connections to the rest of Auckland and support this growing community. We are building the homes Kiwis need and the transport links to connect them to jobs and opportunities.

“The KiwiBuild programme will deliver 100,000 affordable homes for first homebuyers over 10 years. It will start with 1,000 homes in the 2018/19 financial year and ramp up over the following years.

“Already, the Government has announced the purchase of land from Unitec suitable for over 3,000 houses. We are working on plans for KiwiBuild homes on more underutilised Crown-owned land, and developing a programme to underwrite or pre-purchase affordable KiwiBuild homes off the plans, in private developments,” says Phil Twyford.

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