Minister rightly lacks confidence in KiwiBuild

Potential KiwiBuild buyers will be rightly concerned that the Government is being unclear whether developments will be mixed KiwiBuild and State Housing National’s spokesperson for Housing Judith Collins says.

“Housing Minister Phil Twyford has promised his KiwiBuild scheme is the answer to New Zealand’s housing woes. But he has expressed concern to colleagues that there is a risk these houses won’t all be sold under KiwiBuild.

“The risk of unsold KiwiBuild houses is increasing as the Minister continues to announce developments with a majority of one-bedroom and studio apartments. However only 2 per cent of those who have registered for KiwiBuild have expressed an interest in a one-bedroom property.

“In the event that houses are not sold under KiwiBuild, the Minister has said they can be transferred to Housing New Zealand.

“This means when entering the ballot for a KiwiBuild property, buyers cannot be sure if the development will be include some houses that will be sold to Housing New Zealand.

“When the Minister removed the eviction for anti-social behaviour, I warned him that this would likely see KiwiBuild first-home buyers in developments with anti-social neighbours in Housing New Zealand rentals.

“Hard working Kiwis buying their own home should not be expected to have to put up with anti-social people living next door in taxpayer-funded housing, nor would they rightly want their small children growing up in such an environment.

“After handing over your life savings for the keys to your first home, it may be distressing for some young families to find out they share an apartment block with Housing New Zealand tenants.

“The Minister needs to step up and build KiwiBuild homes at the size the majority of prospective first-home buyers want and re-instate the eviction policy for anti-social behaviour by Housing New Zealand tenants so Kiwis aren’t hamstrung when wanting to sell their property to get the bigger house they needed in the first place.”

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