Labour will make it easier for more working Kiwis to buy their first home, with a new pathway from renting to owning and an expanded First Home Loan scheme that keeps deposits at just five percent.
“People are working hard and doing their best to save, but with rent, groceries, power and other bills taking up so much of the household budget, getting together a house deposit can feel impossible,” Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said.
“The problem isn’t always being able to afford a mortgage. It’s having money for a deposit while paying rent. Labour will give more people a fair shot at owning a home of their own.”
Labour will:
Introduce rent-to-buy for eligible Kāinga Ora and participating community housing tenants who are working and ready to move towards home ownership.
Protect people’s savings. Rent-to-buy deposit credits will be held safely in a trust account.
Expand First Home Loans by lifting the income eligibility cap to $300,000, keeping the deposit requirement at five percent and bringing more banks into the scheme.
Allow the schemes to work together, so eligible rent-to-buy tenants can use a First Home Loan to purchase their home with a five percent deposit.
“For a $700,000 home, a five percent deposit is $35,000, compared with $140,000 for a 20 percent deposit. That’s a huge difference for people trying to get their foot on the property ladder,” Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said.
“We won’t reduce the number of public homes as people rent-to-buy. For every public home sold through rent-to-buy, Kāinga Ora will build three more, with the proceeds reinvested in new public housing.
“Making it easier to buy a first home is part of a bigger plan to get more homes built, get our construction sector moving again and make sure working New Zealanders have a fair chance to own a place of their own.
“People who work hard deserve a pathway into home ownership. Labour will give more Kiwis a way to get there,” Kieran McAnulty said.
