Housing Minister Phil Twyford was in Wanaka yesterday to announce plans for 211 Kiwibuild homes to be built within the Northlake subdivision over the next two years.
They are the first Kiwibuild homes announced in the South Island and the first outside Auckland.
Prices for the new homes will range from $565,000 to $650,000, and first-home buyers will be able to utilise the HomeStart and Welcome Home loan schemes.
Northlake developer Chris Meehan said the first 10 homes would be built and occupied by Christmas.
"We’re hoping to have another 20 done in the middle of next year and then progressively in batches of 20 to 50 over the next two years," Mr Meehan said.
The Northlake development is a master-planned community adjacent to Wanaka township, which will comprise more than 800 homes.
It will also have its own village centre, with shops, playground, childcare and healthcare centres, dining options and small business office space.
Ballots for the first 10 homes will open on October 8 for four weeks.
First-home buyers and some "second-chancers" are eligible to enter the Kiwibuild ballot.
Prospective buyers must provide proof of financing, earn less than $180,000 for a couple, or less than $120,000 for an individual, and be willing to sign a statutory declaration saying they will not sell or rent out their home for at least three years.
Mr Twyford, speaking yesterday, said it was "appropriate we’re doing this in the Queenstown-Lakes and here in Wanaka".
"The Queenstown-Lakes district has been absolutely hammered by the housing crisis so here in Wanaka and Queenstown we’ll be announcing more Kiwibuild homes because we want to give young first-home buyers a crack at affordable home ownership and currently they’re locked out."
The homes will all be fully insulated and landscaped, double-glazed and fitted with Fisher & Paykel appliances.
The Government plans to build 100,000 affordable homes over the next decade, with 1000 complete by mid-2019.
Mr Twyford said there were plans for further Kiwibuild announcements in the Queenstown-Lakes district in the coming weeks and months.
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Comments
Just shows how out of touch labour and Twyford are. Wanaka getting kiwibuild homes to house future lil elitists when they could afford to buy and work elsewhere. I'd rather my taxes pay for people in the actual definition of need.
Won't be long before sky season and air bnb will be in 80% of those kiwibuild rooms
$565,000 to $650,000 is affordable? WOW! I'm wondering what you Kiwis get in wages?