THE HOUSING PROBLEM

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 70, 6 May 1946, Page 2

THE HOUSING PROBLEM

COUNTY COUNCIL’S DILEMMA REMIT TO CONFERENCE Discussing suitable remite for sending forward to the Counties Conference, Mr J. L. Burnett, chairman of the Whakatane County Council at its April meeting declared that one important remit should be that the Government should place houses which had been specially provided for local body servants outside the provisions of the Fair Rents Act.

Enlarging upon the subject, he pointed out that very often a local body with the best of intentions, purchased houses which were intended for their employees only. Occasionally an employee left the staff, but continued to occupy the house and as long as he continued to pay his rent the Council was powerless to put him out, in spite of the fact that the new man who was to replace him had nowhere to go, and was only interested in the job while there was a house attached to it. The whole position was unreasonable, and unfair.

Cr Butler said that while the position was allowed to obtain there was little prospect of local bodies providing homes for their employees and thereby the accommodation question was aggravated still further.

The remit will be drafted up for presentation at a future meeting.