Hon Phil Twyford

Minister of Housing and Urban Development

MEDIA STATEMENT

19 December 2017

Government starts implementation of KiwiBuild

The Coalition Government has fulfilled another of its first 100 day promises by taking the first steps to implement the KiwiBuild programme, Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford has announced.

“It will take at least a year to formally establish the urban development authority – which will be called the Housing Commission – but we’re not waiting to get started on building the 100,000 affordable houses New Zealand desperately needs.

“That’s why we’ve set up an interim KiwiBuild Unit within the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment so we can get cracking now while the legislation to establish the Housing Commission is developed,” Mr Twyford says.

The KiwiBuild Unit will be responsible for:
·         Building KiwiBuild homes as part of redevelopment of state housing land, alongside new state and open market homes.
·         Scaling up the building of KiwiBuild homes on underutilised Crown-owned land.
·         Purchasing (or underwriting) new homes off the plans in private developments.
·         Investigating major greenfield and urban regeneration projects, so that they can be progressed swiftly by the Housing Commission once established.
·         Working with councils, iwi and private developers.
·         Exploring innovative ways to address current constraints including alternative financing options and construction practices.
“Once established, the Housing Commission will take over as the driver of the KiwiBuild programme.

“New Zealand’s housing market has failed to deliver affordable homes to first home buyers. KiwiBuild’s ambitious programme will provide the opportunity for a step-change in the housing and construction sector,” Mr Twyford says.

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