642 (2026). Hon Kieran McAnulty to the Minister of Housing

642 (2026). Hon Kieran McAnulty to the Minister of Housing: How is Kāinga Ora achieving a reduction in the build costs for its new houses?

Hon Chris Bishop: Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities advises me that it is achieving a reduction in build costs by using a set of standard plans. Standardisation makes the design process more efficient and less costly. These designs have been optimised to reflect a Government directed “back to basics” approach, without compromising required quality standards. All homes continue to meet Building Code requirements and Kāinga Ora’s own social housing and asset management standards; the difference is in simplifying form and materials, not in the quality, performance, or livability of the homes. In addition, our procurement strategy is to bundle projects and have multiple build partners quoting the work, creating a competitive process.