KiwiBuild's new leaders enter scheme's second year with 786 house shortfall

This week marked the first birthday of KiwiBuild but celebrations were non-existent as targets were missed and issues continue to plague the Government house building initiative. 

Labour promised 100,000 new homes in 10 years at the 2017 election. The Government's first target of 1000 homes before July 1, 2019 passed with only 214 homes built, according to its website. 

The Government began pulling away from its targets earlier this year, with the Prime Minister admitting the interim targets were dropped in January. 

"Our 100,000 over 10 years hasn't changed, our interim targets haven't been a useful way to demonstrate our delivery programme that's why the Minister is looking at that again," Jacinda Ardern said at the time. 

Mr Twyford said in January that KiwiBuild was undergoing a "re-calibration" and the programme remained an ambitious one. The "re-calibration" led to the Government announcing there would be a "reset", which was supposed to be announced in June. 

Last week's Gabinet reshuffle saw an admission by the Prime Minister that KiwiBuild "has proven to be no small task, and one we know we must do better in". 

"We have fundamentally changed the housing programme in New Zealand, we just haven’t done it as quickly as we’d like, we haven’t done it as effectively as we’d like so a reset is required and we absolutely own that," she said. 

Phil Twyford's Housing and Urban Development portfolio was split, with Mr Twyford keeping the urban development and Megan Woods picking up Housing, with responsibility of KiwiBuild. Kris Faafoi will focus on public housing.

"We know that we have got things wrong with KiwiBuild. We do want to bring in a fresh pair of eyes because we aren't giving up on the housing crisis. We know there's more work to do."

"It's just about making sure that we pick up a bit more speed, and that we pick up on the delivery because some of the settings just haven't been right."