HOUSING POSITION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 84, 24 September 1947, Page 6

HOUSING POSITION

EASING ANTICIPATED If the present rate of housing construction could be maintained it might be possible to house all urgent cases within two years, said the Minister of Rehabiltation, Hon. C. F. Skinner, at the quarterly meeting of the Rehabilitation Council held in Wellington. Since the previous council meeting the number of State rental houses allocated to ex-service-men had for the first time considerably exceeded the number of applications received during that period. It appeared that urgent housing cases were -gradually being satisfied. In addition the Housing Construction Department was making some building sections available, and these were being allocated to ex-service-men by the housing allocation committees throughout New Zealand. The sections were either allocated right away or were balloted for where a number of men were interested. Successful applications were submitted to the Land Development Board which formally recommended transfer. It was hoped to extend this scheme and increase the number of sections to be allocated.

In paying a tribute to the work of the housing allocation committees the Minister said their job was extremely difficult and there had been very little criticism of the manner in which they were dging it. It was purely voluntary work and one of the most striking jobs in the world. The chairman of the committee in one large centre, when it became known that he was appointed, had almost to go into hiding periodically to get any rest at all. Mr T. R. Lees (Palmerston North) agreed that the Rehabilitation allocation committees were doing a hard job in difficult circumstances. In his own centre there was still a lot to be done, and many distressing cases were encountered. He felt that the position in some of the larger cities might improve more quickly than in places which were rapidly expanding.