Michael Wood
Solving the housing crisis is a top priority for the Labour-led Coalition Government.
Over the past nine years, housing has reached crisis point as we all know.
Buying a house is no longer possible for most Kiwis and even a worse nightmare for new New Zealanders who have moved from overseas.
Decisive action
I am delighted that my electorate Mt Roskill is one of the locations in which the government is taking decisive action to end the housing crisis. It is the most diverse and vibrant of electorates, called the ‘Holy City of Mt Roskill,’ by my predecessor (now Mayor of Auckland) Phil Goff, and I am proud to represent its people.
The Government’s transformational plan, announced in Mt Roskill on Sunday, September 9, 2018 by Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford will see 10,000 new homes for families in Mt Roskill built in close co-ordination with the planned light rail line from Central Auckland to Mangere.
Long-Term Plan
Similar in scale to the Mangere Development, the 143-hectare Mt Roskill Development will be built over the next 10 to 15 years and will include more than 2400 modest, affordable KiwiBuild homes for first home buyers, around 3000 market homes, and more than 3000 new state homes.
“Not only will this redevelopment provide families in Mt Roskill with high-quality new, homes, it will also provide the infrastructure to cope with growth and connect with the planned light rail line” Mr Twyford said at the event.
The Mt Roskill Development will be built on existing Housing New Zealand land and would initially consist of two neighbourhoods, Roskill South and Owairaka.
Further neighbourhoods will be considered in the future.
The Stages
Building in Roskill South has already started. Under stage one, 80 new state homes will be built, with the first ready to move into next year.
Stage two of the project will begin mid-2019 and will see 90 worn-out state homes replaced with around 300 new homes, including around 95 KiwiBuild homes, around 60 state houses and market homes.
It is anticipated that the Roskill South part of the redevelopment will complete in the next six years, with 302 new state homes and 578 affordable market homes being built.
Collaborative Scheme
The Project is collaborative. As the elected MP, I am happy to see that the government is working closely with our Local Board, Auckland Council, and the local community to ensure that the development meets local aspirations.
“The Mt Roskill Development is a great example of how local and central government are working together to improve neighbourhoods throughout Auckland,” Mr Twyford said.
The 2400 KiwiBuild homes and thousands of affordable market homes being built will give many in the community a real shot at owning their own home which has been a dream drifting away from young Kiwis in the recent past.
“With access to rapid transport and new warm, dry homes for families, the redevelopment is a fantastic outcome for the Roskill community,” Mr Twyford said.
A happy resident
A local resident and a migrant from India, Rajni (not her real name) is very happy when she shares her feedback on the Roskill initiative.
She has lived in Mt Roskill for five years and is renting a two-bedroom unit and pays $520 as weekly rent. She lives with her husband, visiting mother-in-law who help look after her toddler son and is expecting her second child.
She and her husband are employed and have received their permanent residence recently and Rajni is awaiting eagerly for the day she can be a proud homeowner at least once her new baby is born.
They have saved for years towards a deposit but with such a high rent and prevailing house prices, her dream of buying a house has eluded them so far.
“The amount we can save is not great if we have to buy a house over 900 k. This initiative has given me so much hope” Rajni said.
She now has opportunities which was absent a year ago.
To find out more about eligibility for Kiwibuild homes, please visit the website https://www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/kiwibuild/buying-a-kiwibuild-home
Pre-Qualification
To pre-qualify, one needs to be a New Zealand citizen or a permanent resident who resides in New Zealand and needs to provide documentation evidence on proof of residency or citizenship, income, financial pre-approval from a bank of other lender and a statutory declaration signed by an authorised person such as Justice of the Peace.
Decent housing for all people is one of the benchmarks of a civilised society. I am proud that the coalition government is getting on with the job of building healthy, modern housing for all of our families.
Michael Wood is an elected Member of Parliament from Mt Roskill and is the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Ethnic Communities
(Pictures Supplied)
