What is the First Home Grant?
The First Home Grant is a government scheme administered by Kāinga Ora — not a loan. You never have to repay it. It's designed to help first-home buyers who have been contributing to KiwiSaver for at least three years.
Grant Amounts (2026)
- Existing home: Up to $10,000 ($5,000 per person for two or more eligible buyers, or $5,000 if buying solo with a $10,000 max for couples)
- New build: Up to $20,000 ($10,000 per person for two or more eligible buyers, or $10,000 if buying solo)
Eligibility Criteria
KiwiSaver Requirements
- You must have been contributing to KiwiSaver for at least 3 years
- The 3 years do not need to be consecutive
Income Cap (per person, before tax)
- 1 buyer: Annual income must be $95,000 or less
- 2 or more buyers: Combined annual income must be $150,000 or less
House Price Caps
The property you're buying must be under the regional price cap. Common examples (2026):
- Auckland: $875,000 (existing) / $925,000 (new build)
- Wellington: $750,000 (existing) / $850,000 (new build)
- Christchurch: $600,000 (existing) / $700,000 (new build)
- Tauranga: $750,000 (existing) / $850,000 (new build)
- Hamilton: $650,000 (existing) / $750,000 (new build)
- Dunedin: $550,000 (existing) / $650,000 (new build)
- Rest of NZ: $500,000–$600,000 depending on region
Deposit Requirement
- You must have a minimum 5% deposit of the purchase price
- The grant can form part of your deposit
Occupation Requirement
- You must intend to live in the home for at least 6 months
- Investment properties do not qualify
How to Apply
- Check your eligibility using Kāinga Ora's online tool
- Fill out the First Home Grant application form (available through your KiwiSaver provider or Kāinga Ora)
- Once approved, you have 6 months to find a property and settle
- Your solicitor will finalise the grant at settlement
Key Tips
- The grant is not automatically issued — you must apply
- You can use the grant alongside KiwiSaver withdrawal and First Home Partner
- If you've previously owned a home, you likely won't qualify (with limited exceptions)
2026 Update: The Grant Has Been Discontinued
Important: the First Home Grant (formerly HomeStart) was discontinued by the Government on 22 May 2024. Kāinga Ora no longer accepts new applications, and the savings were reprioritised into other housing programmes, including 1,500 new social houses. The details on this page describe the scheme as it operated before closure, and they are still useful for understanding how Kāinga Ora's broader first-home support works.
If you submitted a complete application before 22 May 2024, it may still have been processed — contact Kāinga Ora to confirm your status. If you are a new buyer in 2026, the grant is no longer available, but several alternatives remain.
What Replaced It: Support Still Available in 2026
- First Home Loan: a Kāinga Ora-backed low-deposit mortgage with a 5% deposit, income caps of $95,000 (single) or $150,000 (combined for two or more buyers), and regional house price caps ranging from about $400,000 in rural areas to around $950,000 in Queenstown.
- First Home Partner: a shared-equity scheme where Kāinga Ora takes a stake in your first home (up to 25%) so you need a smaller mortgage — see our dedicated guide.
- KiwiSaver first-home withdrawal: after three years of membership you can withdraw most of your balance for a deposit; the Government contribution portion stays in the account.
- Bank low-deposit lending: new builds are exempt from RBNZ LVR speed limits, so 10–15% deposits (and sometimes less) are available on new homes.
How the Numbers Compare
Under the old grant, an eligible couple buying a new build could receive up to $20,000, and a solo buyer up to $10,000. To put that in context with 2026 prices: REINZ's national median house price was around $770,000–$787,000 in late 2025 and mid-2026, so the grant would typically have covered only a small share of a 20% deposit.
Today, the more powerful combination is KiwiSaver withdrawal plus a low-deposit loan. For example, on a $770,000 purchase with a 10% deposit ($77,000), a couple with $50,000 in withdrawable KiwiSaver savings and $27,000 in cash could bridge the gap without any grant — though every lender's serviceability rules differ, so get pre-approval early.
Steps for New Buyers in 2026
- Check KiwiSaver membership (3+ years) and your withdrawable balance with your provider.
- Use Kāinga Ora's First Home Decision Tool to see if First Home Loan or First Home Partner suits you.
- Get pre-approval from a participating lender or a mortgage broker.
- Budget for deposit, solicitor fees, building report, LIM, insurance and moving costs.
- Always verify current caps and criteria on kaingaora.govt.nz — they are reviewed regularly.
What Replaced the Grant in 2026
Nothing replaced it one-for-one. Instead, first-home support in 2026 comes from three separate places, and knowing which one you are eligible for matters more than knowing what you missed:
| Support | Status in 2026 | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| First Home Loan (Kāinga Ora) | Open — the main live support | A 5% deposit requirement instead of 20%. Income caps: $95,000 single with no dependants, $150,000 combined for two or more buyers. Regional house price caps apply. |
| KiwiSaver first-home withdrawal | Open | Withdraw most of your own KiwiSaver balance (excluding government contributions) after three years of membership. No upper cap. |
| First Home Partner (Kāinga Ora shared equity) | Fully subscribed — no new applications | Kāinga Ora co-purchased a share of your home to bridge the deposit gap. Now assisting existing customers only. |
Why the Swap from Grant to Loan Is Worth So Much More
The old grant paid a one-off $10,000 for a solo buyer or up to $20,000 for a couple buying a new build. The First Home Loan does something structurally different — it changes the required deposit from 20% to 5%:
- On a $770,000 national median home: 20% is $154,000. At 5% it is $38,500.
- That is a difference of $115,500 in cash you must have saved before you can buy.
- The old grant covered roughly 9% to 17% of that same gap.
Two trade-offs come with it. The loan carries a lender's mortgage insurance-style fee arrangement through Kāinga Ora rather than a bank, and it is restricted to the regional price caps — so in Auckland you may be capped well below the median. Even so, for the buyers it fits, it is the single most valuable piece of first-home support still standing.
If You Applied Before 22 May 2024
Applications that were complete before the discontinuation date were still processed. If you submitted one and never heard the outcome, contact Kāinga Ora on 0508 935 266 with your reference number and ask for a written decision. A decision letter matters because it starts the clock on any review or complaint, and because grant entitlements sometimes interact with later applications for the First Home Loan.
If nothing was submitted before that date, there is no route back in. Any website still offering to help you "apply for the First Home Grant" in 2026 is either describing the closed scheme or selling something else — so read the page carefully before you hand over documents.