First in, first served
FIRST home buyers will have to be quick off the blocks to snaffle an affordable home in a new central Auckland development.
A 1.2 hectare site on Mt Eden Rd has been approved as a special housing area (SHA) and the resource consent lodged, with homes set to be on the market as soon as next year.
But only eight houses out of the 78 homes will be sold for between $460,000 and $500,000.
Those eight homes are the affordable housing component of the SHA and a requirement for getting the Fletcher Residential development fast-tracked.
But once on the market not just any Joe Bloggs can swoop in and pick up one of these bargains.
The purchaser must be a first home buyer and intend to own and reside in the home for no less than three years. The buyer must also have a gross household income that doesn’t exceed $91,800. An Auckland Council spokesperson says after three years of owningoccupying, the home can then be sold at market value.
After meeting the full criteria it is as simple as registering your interest with the vendor, the spokesperson says.
‘‘After that, the principle of ‘first in, first typically prevails.’’
The council and Fletchers are currently fleshing out the details such as where the affordable housing will go within the development.
‘‘The council encourages ‘pepper potting’, or the distribution of affordable homes throughout a development, where it can.
‘‘It should also be similar in external design to the
served’ market rate housing or ‘ tenure blind’,’’ the spokesperson says.
Fletcher Residential carved the SHA land off the controversial Three Kings Quarry – a move that has been met with outcry from community members because of the fast-paced nature of SHA developments and the limitations around public input.
But Mt Roskill MP and Auckland Issues spokesperson Phil Goff says the development is a necessary step forward for the Three Kings area.
‘‘Auckland will have to develop intensive housing areas because it cannot just keep expanding outwards,’’ he says.
‘‘With proper planning so that the development is compatible with the local landscape, is matched by proper infrastructure development and considers fairly the interests of others in our existing community, the SHA can be positive.’’ Goff says $460,000 to $500,000 isn’t obtainable for everyone and efforts need to be made to provide housing for all.
‘‘We should also require social housing to be provided as part of the wider development of the area to ensure that those on lower incomes are not increasingly excluded from Mt Roskill,’’ he says.
Puketapapa Local Board chairwoman Julie Fairey says the price of the affordable housing is linked to the median Auckland house price.
‘‘As a result it is actually quite a high price,’’ she says.
Fletchers has indicated it is ready to start earthworks as soon as resource consent is granted, and construction once building consent is granted.
Resource consents should be decided on within 20 working days, if nonnotified. If the application is to be limited notified, then the timeframe is 70 working days.