BAY OF PLENTY BEACON Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, JUNE 27, 1949 THE HOUSING PROBLEM

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 4, 27 June 1949, Page 4

BAY OF PLENTY BEACON Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, JUNE 27, 1949 THE HOUSING PROBLEM

More than passing interest for Whakatane attaches to the suggestion by Mr Chas Greeves, of Hamilton, that we should have either a civilian or combined housing allocation , committee here. Mr Greeves is a man who has had wide experience with the housing problem, both as a member of the Hamilton Rehabilitation Committee’s housing sub-committee and as a member of the Hamilton civilian housing allocation committee. Moreover, he has studied at first-hand the establishment and success of the combined housing allocation committee now working well at Cambridge.

The views of such a man are views we cannot ignore, particularly since they concern what is probably this town’s most serious problem.

True, the establishment of a housing allocation committee here might not increase the number of houses for allocation, though it is conceivable that a body of that sort might be able to place some well-informed advice in the right quarters. But having a committee of local people on the job to whom local applicants could appeal for full investigation of their circumstances would be a much more satisfactory arrangement than the present one whereby all applications are handled at Tauranga by a State Department which rarely ever has a representative in this district.

Under the present set-up, all the local homeless can do is write letters, which in due course bring back courteously non-committal circulars in reply, or go to the expense of travelling to Tauranga to interview officials who have little or no knowledge of Whakatane and who, with all respect to their efficiency, can hardly be expected to be able to give each application the personal attention a local committee could give.

Not unnaturally there is dissatisfaction, and a lot of it is not altogether unfounded.

To have a matter so vital to our town and its progress handled in such a way cannot possibly be regarded as satisfactory. It would appear, from what Mr Greeves says, that we can, if we want to, have our own allocation committee. All that is needed is an apolication to the Minister, backed by a sufficient body of public opinion to warrant his taking it seriously, and the thing can be accomplished. Lest anyone should doubt the need for something drastic to be done about the local housing question, the Beacon proposes to publish all the facts that are offered to it concerning conditions under which some families who have been passed over in previous allocations are living. To that end, we will appreciate

any well-substantiated facts that can be made available. It is our intention to do our best to awaken public opinion to the point of demanding and getting constructive action. And a housing allocation committee seems the first requisite.