First KiwiBuild families welcomed to new homes by Prime Minister

Saturday, 27 October 2018

The first 18 families were welcomed into their new KiwiBuild homes in Papakura, Auckland.

The first owners of KiwiBuild homes have been have been welcomed to their properties with a street party, attended by the Prime Minister, Housing Minister, and with entertainment from musician Dave Dobbyn.

The party was held to mark the first-in-New Zealand occasion at the McLennan development in Papakura, south Auckland, on Saturday morning.

Although the new owners won't be moving in for a couple of weeks yet, Derryn Manga and Fletcher Ross, owners of one of the 18 new homes, said they had given up on buying their own home before KiwiBuild arrived.

New owners Derryn Manga and Fletcher Ross with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Housing Minister Phil Twyford.

'We felt like we had won the Lotto when we found we were successful in the home,' Manga said.

* KiwiBuild ballot officially opens for first 18 homes in South Auckland**

'We are so grateful for the opportunity.'

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the street party was a chance for residents to say welcome to new neighbours.

They said their $649,000 home was affordable and gave them an opportunity to buy a home earlier than they had expected.

The couple were given a tour of their new four-bedroom home by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who gave them a tree for their back garden.

Kiwi legend Dave Dobbyn was a guest singer at the landmark occasion.

Even though they don't have the keys yet, the couple said they are excited at being able to move into their new home on November 16.

Manga is getting ready to graduate from university next week and Ross is an online marketing manager in Greenlane.

Ardern said the occasion was a little piece of history.

'After one year, to be doing one of the things that drove us through the election. To see them moving in, this is what it was all about,' Ardern said.

Housing Minister Phil Twyford said the Government was committed to tackling 'out-of-control house prices' and the pressure on the rental market by building modest, starter homes for young families.

Ardern gets a tour of the home with the the new owners.

A further 12 properties are under construction at the McLennan development and will be completed before Christmas.

Next year, 58 homes are scheduled to be built at the site.

Protest group Auckland Action Against Poverty said the street party was a 'PR stunt', and said a policy of building 'so-called affordable private housing, subject to market speculation, will further exacerbate the housing crisis'.

“KiwiBuild homes are out of reach for the working poor and the unemployed, who are the ones facing the real brunt of the housing crisis. With a price-tag of half a million dollars, KiwiBuild homes are a future speculator’s dream”, says Ricardo Menendez March, the group's co-ordinator.

“In a few years' time we’ll have state-led gentrification, with middle and high income earners being able to access some of the KiwiBuild homes while those at the bottom continue to struggle with fast rising rents and lack of social housing.'

To be eligible for KiwiBuild you have to be a first time buyer, have an income of less than $120,000 for a single buyer or no more than $180,000 for more than one purchaser.

Buyers must be a New Zealand citizen or resident and intend to own and live in the home as their primary place of residence for at least three years.

For more information kiwibuild.govt.nz.