What is in government’s promise for the first major housing project?
The government has announced the first major development under its ambitious KiwiBuild programme with the purchase of 29 hectares of land for thousands of houses in Auckland.
The Housing Minister Phil Twyford announced the project with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Sunday, March 25, at the Unitec’s Mt Albert campus.
The land at Unitec’s Mt Albert campus, just 9km from Auckland’s CBD, will be transferred from Unitec to the Crown with the intention of building a community of between 3000-4000 homes.
This project, as it appears is not mere housing project but a much larger township development project.
The KiwiBuild programme, from its very inception, had appeared differently to different people.
While the cynics cast aspersions and had concluded that it is doomed to failure, its supporters believe it as a panacea for all kinds of problems that exist within New Zealand’s housing continuum (rising rents, home affordability, state housing and homelessness).
Indeed, like a piece of art, the KiwiBuild programme appears differently to different people.
Here is a small debrief on what this latest ambitious housing project in Mt Albert promises to deliver.
First and foremost is that KiwiBuild programme aims at building houses for every possible segment within housing market – first home buyers, state houses and the free market.
Affordable houses for first home buyers
First home buyers are the most important target segment within the housing continuum, and the government is aiming to set aside almost 40 per cent of the total houses in Mt Albert project for the first home buyers.
“Forty percent of the houses will be part of KiwiBuild - available to first-home buyers at between $500,000 and $600, 000,” Mr Twyford said.
These houses are envisaged to be two-three bedroom houses.
State Houses
State houses would be the other major segment of this housing project.
State housing is a system of public housing in New Zealand, which offers low-cost rental housing to residents on low to moderate incomes.
The Crown owns these houses, and they are managed by Housing New Zealand Corporation. There is not much clarity about the size of these houses, although it is being assumed that it will also be low-cost housing.
Houses for free market
Housing Minister has announced that there will be houses for the free market as well in this project.
However, nothing more is revealed yet about the sizes and quality of housing for this segment
Light Rail
Probably the most important and most progressive promise for this Mt Albert project would be the promise of linking it with light rail.
Mr Twyford envisages including light rail services to Pt Chevalier and bus services improvements to Carrington Road.
"It's going to be the first major community in Auckland where you can live well and not have to own a car," Twyford said.
However, there is no timeline on the expectation of getting light rail operational.
Developing a community
Mr Twyford said it’s an opportunity to build a whole new community around Unitec and help address Auckland’s housing crisis.
“Too many Aucklanders are suffering because of the housing crisis. This Government will not sit around while children are living in cars and families are cramped into overcrowded housing. We need bold action to solve this.
“We want to create a place for people to put down roots and to live, work, learn and play, for generations to come,” Mr Twyford said.
Who will be building this project?
The government aims to involve the private sector and local iwi in the construction and delivering of this project.
However, the government intends to play a lead role in bringing together private players, iwi, and the Kiwibuild to complete this project.
Would the government have capability and expertise to perform this role remains to be seen in future?
“The reason we have government is to take some of the risks, to share some of the risks to make it easy for the private sector to come in and develop and build and sell great places for people to live play and work. That's why we have a government," Mr Twyford said.
The government has announced the first major development under its ambitious KiwiBuild programme with the purchase of 29 hectares of land for thousands of houses in Auckland.
The Housing Minister Phil Twyford announced the project with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Sunday, March 25, at the...
The government has announced the first major development under its ambitious KiwiBuild programme with the purchase of 29 hectares of land for thousands of houses in Auckland.
The Housing Minister Phil Twyford announced the project with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Sunday, March 25, at the Unitec’s Mt Albert campus.
The land at Unitec’s Mt Albert campus, just 9km from Auckland’s CBD, will be transferred from Unitec to the Crown with the intention of building a community of between 3000-4000 homes.
This project, as it appears is not mere housing project but a much larger township development project.
The KiwiBuild programme, from its very inception, had appeared differently to different people.
While the cynics cast aspersions and had concluded that it is doomed to failure, its supporters believe it as a panacea for all kinds of problems that exist within New Zealand’s housing continuum (rising rents, home affordability, state housing and homelessness).
Indeed, like a piece of art, the KiwiBuild programme appears differently to different people.
Here is a small debrief on what this latest ambitious housing project in Mt Albert promises to deliver.
First and foremost is that KiwiBuild programme aims at building houses for every possible segment within housing market – first home buyers, state houses and the free market.
Affordable houses for first home buyers
First home buyers are the most important target segment within the housing continuum, and the government is aiming to set aside almost 40 per cent of the total houses in Mt Albert project for the first home buyers.
“Forty percent of the houses will be part of KiwiBuild - available to first-home buyers at between $500,000 and $600, 000,” Mr Twyford said.
These houses are envisaged to be two-three bedroom houses.
State Houses
State houses would be the other major segment of this housing project.
State housing is a system of public housing in New Zealand, which offers low-cost rental housing to residents on low to moderate incomes.
The Crown owns these houses, and they are managed by Housing New Zealand Corporation. There is not much clarity about the size of these houses, although it is being assumed that it will also be low-cost housing.
Houses for free market
Housing Minister has announced that there will be houses for the free market as well in this project.
However, nothing more is revealed yet about the sizes and quality of housing for this segment
Light Rail
Probably the most important and most progressive promise for this Mt Albert project would be the promise of linking it with light rail.
Mr Twyford envisages including light rail services to Pt Chevalier and bus services improvements to Carrington Road.
"It's going to be the first major community in Auckland where you can live well and not have to own a car," Twyford said.
However, there is no timeline on the expectation of getting light rail operational.
Developing a community
Mr Twyford said it’s an opportunity to build a whole new community around Unitec and help address Auckland’s housing crisis.
“Too many Aucklanders are suffering because of the housing crisis. This Government will not sit around while children are living in cars and families are cramped into overcrowded housing. We need bold action to solve this.
“We want to create a place for people to put down roots and to live, work, learn and play, for generations to come,” Mr Twyford said.
Who will be building this project?
The government aims to involve the private sector and local iwi in the construction and delivering of this project.
However, the government intends to play a lead role in bringing together private players, iwi, and the Kiwibuild to complete this project.
Would the government have capability and expertise to perform this role remains to be seen in future?
“The reason we have government is to take some of the risks, to share some of the risks to make it easy for the private sector to come in and develop and build and sell great places for people to live play and work. That's why we have a government," Mr Twyford said.
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