THE HOUSING PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 166, 8 April 1919, Page 8

THE HOUSING PROBLEM

SPECIAL COMMITTEE MEETS. . The special committee of the City Council set up to deal with the housing problem, held a meeting in tho Mayor's room yesterday afternoon. Mr. W. K. Morton's plans, for the entire reconstruction of certain densely populated portions of the city, were liroduced, and a wide and general discussion took place on the scheme. It was maintained, that the scheme certainly did away with a reputed slum area, but whether it provided more residential accommodation than the blocks concerned did at present was another story. Again, where were the people to reside who were turned out of their homes, whilst the new .•houses were being constructed? It was conceded that the matter of providing houses in any number was largely a matter of finance. ■ Would the citv nay tho piper? Should the ratepayers be rated to provide homes for other people? After the moeting, at which nothing positive was decided, the Mayor informed a Dominion reporter that the housing problem was an acute one at Home, where the matter was being given a ffood deal of attention. The. scheme most favoured seemed,- to be the building of large numbers of semi-detached houses in groups of twos and three?, which was a distinct departure from tho old idea of building houses in long rows or tcrraei's. level- with Ihe alignment of the street—grim, uiipicluresiiue, featureless, nlaces, well calculated lo depress anyone familiar with modern ideas. As to the question of the number of rooms and the design, Jlr. Luke said that the commissioners favoured the provision of kitchen-living room, with a sunny aspect, as Ihe resident:! were likely to spend (he greater, part of their waking hours in the house in such a room. The question of providing a parlour or sittingroom' appeared to have, been a debatable one, but the commissioners concluded I hat such a room was an essential part of the home, and should be provided. The building of small semi-deluched houses was a reflection of the excellent results achieved in garden suburbs ■uid model towns built by Lig industrial firms for their employees, , which had done a certain way in providing against overcrowding and unsavoury living conitions. There were, however, many tilaces- in the Old Country slill suffering from overcrowding to an extent we, in Now Zealand, could not imagine. It "■as tacitly admitted in England that there' must: be a debit in connection with any scheme nrovidinj; homes for workers, and it. was proposed that after seven years nn assessment of Ihe financial position should be made, and that of the !o?s (if any) the general Government should pay 75 per cent, and the local body 25 per cent.