People hoping to get onto the property ladder by buying one of the Government’s KiwiBuild homes in east Auckland will find slim pickings in the local community.
There are currently no homes available for sale in east Auckland on the KiwiBuild website.
The only properties listed under “available homes” as of January 19 are in Mangere, south Auckland, and Rotorua.
During the campaign for the 2017 general election the Labour Party said its KiwiBuild policy would deliver 100,000 affordable new homes over 10 years with half of those to be located in Auckland.
Five years later it’s built 1049 new homes in Auckland, with an additional 448 under construction, and 1296 nationwide.
KiwiBuild was launched in 2018 and is overseen by Crown agency Kainga Ora.
In September 2019, the Government scrapped its target of building 100,000 affordable homes.
A Kainga Ora Homes and Communities spokesperson says the only KiwiBuild properties currently planned to be built in east Auckland are 80 properties in the development called The Neighbourhood at Ormiston.
The development’s website describes it as a new “master-planned community in Ormiston that brings together contemporary living, sustainable thinking and high-quality affordable homes”.
It features a mix of freehold terrace, duplex and standalone homes which include the option of three, four or five bedrooms, and a minimum of two bathrooms.
The homes will include high-spec modern kitchens, Fisher and Paykel appliances, heat pumps, tiled en suite and bathrooms, a garage or car pad, and a 10-year building warranty.
The development is zoned for schools including Ormiston Junior and Senior Colleges, as well as Te Uho o te Nikau Primary School in Flat Bush.
Its main access is off Hermitage Street in Flat Bush.
The Kainga Ora spokesperson says KiwiBuild partners with developers to expedite the delivery of new and affordable homes, giving more families and individuals the opportunity to achieve home ownership.
“The KiwiBuild programme involves Kainga Ora underwriting the sale of homes in new developments, to unlock development funding and reduce project risk for the developer.
“In return, participating developers agree to offer a portion of the homes to eligible KiwiBuild buyers first.
“Developers who wish to participate in the KiwiBuild programme are invited to submit an application to Kainga Ora.
“As part of the consideration process we will work with the developer to ensure their proposed development supports the KiwiBuild objective of building the right type of homes, in the right place and at the right price point.”
In response to a written question from National Party housing spokesperson and deputy leader Nicola Willis in December last year, Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods said 624 KiwiBuild homes are currently scheduled to be built across the country during the 2021-2022 financial year.
Pakuranga MP Simeon Brown says: “KiwiBuild is a failed Labour Party promise which has completely failed to deliver on the thousands of new homes promised to first-home buyers.
“The fact they are planning so few homes for east Auckland only further confirms how much this policy has failed.”
