Figures released to Newshub show that the KiwiBuild targets have turned out, like every other target from the current inept bunch of bunglers in the Beehive, to be ‘aspirational’.
The KiwiBuild programme was launched in July 2018 and we were assured by Twyford that it would deliver 100,000 homes for first home buyers over the next decade.
That seems rather like 10,000 per year for 10 years, in simple average terms. quote.
Since the annual targets were dropped, the Government has been using “over 10,000” as the number of KiwiBuild homes that it’s got contracted or committed.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern celebrated the figure in her official start of the year statement.
But figures released to Newshub show that just 341 of those 10,000 will be built this year, and nearly a fifth won’t be built until the final two years of the programme.
end quote.
The number of houses expected to be built
- 2019: 341
- 2020: 1121
- 2021: 1515
- 2022: 1205
- 2023: 1329
- 2024: 1022
- 2025: 917
- 2026: 1045
- 2027: 1010
- 2028: 850
A total of 10,355 houses in 10 years. Has anyone seen the lost 89,645 houses? Lurking in Te Kauwhata perhaps? quote.
[…] on November 8, a new manager began at the Ministry. Around that time, [former head of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development’s KiwiBuild unit Stephen Barclay] left the office, never to return. And by November 26, the number of homes that were highly likely to be built plummeted.
The Ministry would not do an interview with Newshub, but sent a statement saying it became aware of potential issues with the numbers, and looked into it further.
After an audit of KiwiBuild, the Ministry found the numbers were way off.
Its official statement says: “The number of dwellings reported in the October status report included a very broad definition.”
That meant houses that were in very early stages of negotiations were being sold to the Housing Minister as a done deal.
In a statement, Mr Barclay told Newshub his numbers were accurate, and that it appeared something changed after he left.
Phil Twyford is in Australia so was unavailable for an interview, but sent Newshub a statement.
“This matter is related to an ongoing employment dispute so it would be inappropriate for me to comment,” he said.
“There is new leadership in place in the KiwiBuild Unit which is working hard to get much-needed affordable homes built.” end quote.
Yadda, yadda, yadda Phil. Its dead, Phil – give it a decent burial.