Revealed: No one entered KiwiBuild ballot for Waikato development

Newshub can reveal how unpopular KiwiBuild has become: absolutely no one entered the ballot to buy any of the homes in one of the developments.

The Government's flagship housing scheme is now at the stage where developers are offering up bribes to get people interested.

But KiwiBuild isn't just backfiring for the Government - it's backfiring for National too.

The party's latest taxpayer-funded attack ad has drawn widespread criticism for showing a man explaining KiwiBuild to a woman.

Housing Minister Phil Twyford said it was "clearly sexist".

"I would think a lot of people find it offensive."

"We as a Government are building more houses than any Government has built since the 1970s, which I have to say feels roughly about the era of that ad," said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Minister for Women Julie-Anne Genter agreed it seemed straight out of the 1970s, saying it "reminded me of Anchorman".

"I can't believe National's leadership didn't realise how sexist that ad looks."

But deputy leader Paula Bennett said she doesn't think it's sexist.

"No harm intended, and I don't think any harm done."

But National possibly oversold the interest in the policy. New figures obtained by Newshub show there's little demand for the KiwiBuild properties that have made it to the market.

While the Government is trumpeting that nearly 50,000 people have registered their interest, nowhere near that amount are actually trying to buy the homes available.

The highest interest so far has been in the McLennan development in Papakura, where 77 people applied to buy one of the 18 available homes.

But interest is waning - the latest ballots for five more houses in that same development have less than 30 entries, and up the road in Ōtāhuhu, just four people entered the ballot to buy each of the KiwiBuild apartments.

As for the houses that Minister Twyford was very excited to show off in Te Kauwhata, the number of people interested in those is a big fat zero - no one has entered the ballot.

"The trouble with KiwiBuild is it is now a joke for a lot of people," said National's Housing Spokesperson Judith Collins. "But it's a pretty sad joke because a lot of people's hopes have been raised, and now it's turned out to be a real flop."

Minister Twyford insisted KiwiBuild will add to the housing stock, and said "the demand is clearly there".

Developers are even offering up incentives for buyers now. Fifteen homes in Pukekohe are up for sale, and you can buy them without even going through a ballot process.

But wait, there's more: the first 10 buyers will get $5000 towards whiteware or furniture.

"What's next, first year mortgage free?" said Ms Collins.

KiwiBuild looks like it's quickly becoming KiwiBribe.

Newshub.