State Flats

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28265, 1 May 1957, Page 3

State Flats

Sir, —I recently applied to the State Advances to rent one of the new flats at Riccarton and was informed that, like State houses, they are not available for single persons. There is a similar discrimination against the single person in the granting of Rehabilitation or State loans for houses. He (or she) must be either married or about to be married to qualify. The single person is taxed more heavily and living expenses are seldom relieved by the little economies possible in the established home. He must therefore earn substantially more to enjoy the same standard of living as his married friends. This is not usually the case and large numbers of unmarried persons are housed in sub-standard conditions, not because they are earning less or are Jess thrifty, but because the State dice are loaded against them. —Yours, etc., UNMARRIED. April 25, 1957. [“Owing to the heavy demand on the Government for both rental flats and for loan assistance to build houses, preference at present is given to married couples and dependent children,” said the deputy manager of the State Advances Corporation (Mr N. H. Marks) when this letter was referred to him.]