Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern declares that the Government is "opening the door to families locked out of home ownership" by building affordable homes.
And the first ones in the KiwiBuild scheme have officially gone on the block as of Monday, with the announcement that the ballot for the first 18 of them has opened.
Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford's promising more announcements this week regarding the first KiwiBuild 'off the plans' houses.
Of the 1,000 KiwiBuild houses intended to be produced over the next year, some 800 or so of those are intended to be 'off the plan'.
The first 18 homes up for ballot at the McLennan Development in Auckland are billed as "warm, modern and architecturally-designed stand-alone homes, made up of 12 three-bedroom homes selling for $579,000 and six four-bedroom homes selling for $649,000".
The ballot runs for four weeks, closing on October 5 and with the winners to be announced soon after..
Ardern says KiwiBuild is "restoring the Kiwi dream" of home ownership to thousands of families who have been priced out of the housing market in Auckland and around the country.
“Our Government is opening the door to families locked out of home ownership by building affordable starter homes where the market failed to do so.
"The ballot that opens today gives those that pre-qualify an equal chance of being able to buy their own KiwiBuild home
“KiwiBuild is the major plank in our Government’s plan to make housing more affordable. We have also changed the law to stop overseas speculators pricing New Zealanders out of the market.
“After nine years of neglect under National we now have a Government that is making affordable home-ownership a priority for the tens of thousands of New Zealanders missing out. Today’s ballot shows that help is on the way.”
Twyford said another 12 properties already under construction at the McLennan development will be completed before Christmas, including seven terraced two-bedroom homes and five four-bedroom homes. Next year a further 58 mainly three bedroom homes will be built at the Papakura location.
“This is just the beginning. Later this week our Government will be announcing the start of the next tranche of KiwiBuild homes – the first homes to be bought off the plans.”
Phil Twyford urged anyone considering entering the ballot for KiwiBuild homes at McLennan to get a thorough understanding of the property first and speak to their bank manager.
To ensure KiwiBuild homes go to the people they are intended for, applicants must:
- Be a first-time buyer or a ‘second chancer’
- Have an income of less than $120,000 for a single buyer, or no more than $180,000 for more than one purchaser,
- Be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, or a resident visa holder who is ‘ordinarily resident in New Zealand’,
- And intend to own and live in the home as their primary place of residence for at least three years.
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