Judith Collins - Housing and Urban Development

28 November 2018

Housing Minister Phil Twyford is cancelling plans to build affordable houses just so he can label them KiwiBuild, National’s Housing spokesperson Judith Collins says.

“Mr Twyford is so worried about meeting his 10,000 KiwiBuild homes a year target, he is making illogical decisions that see hardworking Kiwi families on a low to middle income pay $100,000 more for a home – just so these houses can get the KiwiBuild seal.

“Housing New Zealand (HNZ) was working to develop a mixture of social, HNZ and shared equity homes in a development in Marfell, New Plymouth. This development would have benefitted those on a low to middle income.

“Instead, the Minister is promoting a KiwiBuild development on the site, with houses a lot more expensive than what they were anticipated to be sold at if built by the original developer.

“The arrogance of the Minister knows no bounds, Mr Twyford argued in Parliament today that his plan to charge hard working Kiwi families in Marfell $100,000 more for his ‘affordable KiwiBuild homes’ is the ‘superior option’.

“Under the original proposal, a two bedroom house was priced at $198,000, but Mr Twyford’s KiwiBuild houses have a maximum price of $450,000.

“This is a Minister who has consistently shown he isn’t doing the research when announcing KiwiBuild developments, out of the first 10 Wanaka KiwiBuild homes only seven sold due to a lack of demand.

“It has become clear that the Government is unable to deliver on any of its KiwiBuild promises. The Minister is desperately grabbing any house he can and putting a KiwiBuild sticker on it, in the process pulling the rug out from potential community housing projects.”

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