"Over a period of 10-15 years, 2,700 worn-out state houses will be replaced by 10,000 new homes." Photo / NZ Herald

Housing Minister reveals plan for 10,000 new Mangere homes

Author: NZ Herald,
Publish Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2018, 10:19AM

The has announced that its ambitious programme to transform Mangere will include the construction of 10,000 new homes.

These will not only be state homes, with Minister of Housing and Urban Development Phil Twyford saying that they will be for families from all walks of life.

Twyford today opened the Mangere Development Information Centre and visited the first lot of old state houses being replaced with a combination of new state houses, KiwiBuild and affordable homes, and market homes.

"The redevelopment will include up to 3,500 affordable KiwiBuild homes for first home buyers, Twyford said.

"Now consultation with affected families has been undertaken, we can lay out the plans publicly.

Twyford said that the initiative would lead to the transformation of the area.

"Over a period of 10-15 years, 2,700 worn-out state houses will be replaced by 10,000 new homes. This will comprise approximately 3,000 new state houses, 3,500 new KiwiBuild and affordable homes, and 3,500 market homes. This is 3,000 more homes than the initial plan put to me when the Government came to office."

Twyford said that the first stage of the redevelopment is already underway.

"Thirty-five state houses are being demolished to be replaced by 66 more state houses and 100 other homes, at least half of which will be KiwiBuild and affordable," he said.

"Building of the first new state houses will start in the next few months and are due to be finished mid-2019. The first KiwiBuild and affordable homes will be complete towards the end of 2019 and early 2020."

Twyford also stressed that the importance of ensuring that communities established in the area are not uprooted by the re-development.

"I am determined that the local community benefits from this re-development and are not priced out of the new homes. HLC are working to keep the prices of KiwiBuild homes as low as possible. Prices and exact numbers will be finalised as building contracts are agreed. Long-term rent and shared equity options are also under development."

Twyford said he believed the redevelopment of the area would give local families a realistic shot at homeownership.