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Affordable homes to be built in Auckland

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Affordable homes for Auckland

3News NZ

Up to 3000 new houses will be built at Hobsonville Point and 600 of them will be sold for $485,000 or less, the government says.

Housing Minister Phil Heatley says the project will bring more affordable homes onto the Auckland market and could be replicated elsewhere.

The Hobsonville Land Company, a subsidiary of Housing NZ, will develop the land previously owned by the Defence Force.

Mr Heatley says 2500 to 3000 new homes will be built, 10 per cent will be sold for less than $400,000 and a further 10 per cent will be priced between $400,000 and $485,000.

"It's generally understood that these price ranges are considered more affordable in the Auckland context," he said on Friday.

"Details about a home ownership access scheme will be announced."

Labour's housing spokeswoman, Annette King, says the project is lame and half-hearted.

"Phil Heatley's announcement of just 600 new affordable homes in one part of Auckland is underwhelming to say the least," she said.

"It's just a fraction of what's needed."

Labour leader David Shearer is expected to announce a new housing policy at his party's annual conference in Auckland on Sunday.

NZN

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Comments

18/11/2012 11:13:19 a.m.

Mike wrote:

The problem of housing not being affordable is everyone living too highly. That plus a housing shortage which is not helped by the RMA.

Its not uncommon to live outside ones means, NZ as a country done the same thing for decades.

When was the last year NZ as a country lived within its means?

1973 is the last balance of payments surplus. Every year since we have borrowed, and lived on that borrowing. We are heading towards being Greece of the south pacific and no govt is prepared to take a stand to fix it, as its easier to put off today the problem so it will be much worse in the future.

The standard of living today is much higher than it used to be, but if anyone suggests lowering the standard a little, people react like its murder. we can't afford our current standard of living so we either need to lower it, or raise productivity. We can't just sit on our backsides and do nothing.

Take Dairying, we have the highest productivity for dairy milk production in the world. Almost every other area, NZ lags behind overseas productivity, which is what really makes our exports uncompetiive. If we lower our dollar, it will reduce real wages, and make NZ exports more competitive, if we dont raise wages through inflation to match, which is at odds with Labour policy. Labour wants inflation so they can point to the rise in dollar terms, even if in real terms the wages went down. This is an old ploy that has drummed up support for the blind faithful for best part of a century.

17/11/2012 12:34:31 p.m.

Matthew wrote:

The government simply building 'cheap' housing is not solving the problem. The reasons for the increases in cost of housing is totally on vastly over regulated building requirements and control over what people can do with their own land. To solve the problem you need to find the cause of the problem, not bury your head under the sand. Besides who decides who gets the houses? I pay taxes to give someone a cheaper house when I myself don't own my home. It's disgusting, like most of the things government does.

17/11/2012 11:26:01 a.m.

Westie wrote:

Interesting timing of an announcement given the Labour party conference. It is time for some bold ideas - a few hundred houses is a drop in the ocean when you are expecting another 500,000 people in a few more years.

17/11/2012 10:13:20 a.m.

Craig wrote:

@mike even with the savings you suggest most people can not save the deposit required. Will a bank let them service a loan of $485k, no. Are the houses worth that amount well no town-houses on footprint sections will not hold any value.

16/11/2012 9:19:22 p.m.

practicle wrote:

Well if they would give low interest loans to those who could prove they deserve them that would make sence.

16/11/2012 5:53:29 p.m.

Mike wrote:

A household with 2 smokers smoking a pack a day who give up just smoking will see them able to service $300,000 mortgae currently just from the smokes saving, with current mortage rates.

If cut down the alcohol/drugs/Sky TV/gambling/HP's/credit card interest many in NZ can afford the so-called unaffordable.

What is Labours policy?

They want to print money, devalue our dollar, run double digit inflation. This would see more money buying the same houses which would push up house prices even more than inflation due to shortage, combine with reduced real wages that would see our current $13.50 min wage reduced to around $10 buting power. Nobody in Labour is willing to give any detail on how working NZ would find this more affordable. Their party faithful attack any that post asking them to explain.

16/11/2012 4:20:48 p.m.

Angela Marle wrote:

I would never be able to afford one and I work full time. What a joke

16/11/2012 4:14:50 p.m.

alison wrote:

Affordable? Who can afford $485 thou? What planet is this Phil Heatley on? 250-300 houses for under $400 thou and 250-300 houses up to 485 thou means the other 2000 homes will be over $485 thou. How is this to help the housing shortage? It will just encourage the haves to buy more rentals at the expence of the havenots.

16/11/2012 3:40:35 p.m.

Paul wrote:

Affordable? AFFORDABLE!!! In the economic climate of today, $400,000 to $485,000, you have to be kidding me. Just what bloody planet does this government think its living on.