NOWHERE TO LIVE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 46, 27 June 1947, Page 2

NOWHERE TO LIVE

PROBLEM FOR EMPLOYERS A problem that is affecting all Bay of Plenty towns because of their rapid growth—the shortage of boarding houses for single men and women—is being tackled by the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce. In a letter to the Prime Minister the president of the Tauranga Chamber has stated that existing shortages of staff would be overcome if a hostel were established for Government employees, including teachers. “Today, .it is understood that living accommodation is required for many men and women, and this cannot be provided by the residents,” said the president in his letter. “The Chamber considers that the position, in this respect, is likely to become progressively worse due to the rapid growth of the district.”

Departments Must Expand

The president of the Chamber explained that the present population of the borough exceeded 6000 and he felt it was reasonably safe to say that it would pass the 10,000 mark within ten years. This meant that Government departmental activities must inevitably expand. Both they and the general public, added the president, would be seriously handicapped if living accommodation was not made available for the staffs that were now required and would be necessary in the future. “The housing shortage here is extremely acute notwithstanding the. Borough Council’s expanding transit housing scheme,” continued the. president. “These latter places, of course, are required for married people and their families. They are very limited in size and are not easing the position in regard to accomodation for single men and women. In view of the foregoing circumstances, the chamber feels that the question is a serious one, and warrants the immediate erection of a State hostel.

“Possibly you could see your way to recommend that the heads of the Government departments here, including the school principals, should be asked to furnish reports on the problem, in order to ascertain the amount of hostel accommodation required now and likely to be needed in the near future,” declared the president:

Prime Minister’s Reply

Replying for the Prime Minister, Mr M. Moohan advised that he would be glad to arrange for the chamber’s suggestion to be looked into. He noted all that had been said in support of the suggestion that the Government should establish a hostel in the district. It was* decided at the recent meeting of the chamber to write to the Prime Minister’s Department offering the chamber’s thanks for the reply adding that the chamber looked forward to further information when the question had been investigated.