The first KiwiBuild homes promised by the government are now under construction in Papakura.
Construction starts on the Kiwibuild project Photo: RNZ/ Sophia Duckor-Jones
The Government said the 18 three and four bedroom houses will be ready for people to move in to by the end of August and another dozen will be built by the end of the year.
Housing Minister Phil Twyford said the stand alone homes have an expected price of $579,000 for three bedrooms and $649,000 for four.
The KiwiBuild programme will deliver 100,000 affordable homes for first homebuyers over 10 years, and there'll be 1000 ready by the middle of next year, he said.
The Government is working on plans for KiwiBuild homes on more under-used Crown-owned land, he said.
It is also developing a programme to underwrite or pre-purchase affordable KiwiBuild homes in private developments.
National Party housing spokeswoman Judith Collins said Mr Twyford's "gloating" over building 18 houses "reinforces how futile his efforts have been".
The houses announced today were already part of a development that was being funded privately and would have been built anyway, Ms Collins said.
"Who would be surprised to hear the developer is taking the Government up on its offer of a subsidy?
"We welcome any new houses but for the government to claim the credit those 100,000 need to be over and above what was happening already and so far they're not."