CIVIC HOUSE-BUILDING

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 17, 14 October 1921, Page 11

CIVIC HOUSE-BUILDING

OPERATIONS TO BE SUSPENDED DEMAND DECREASED The Housing Committee of the City Council reported last evening: “That operations under tho present housing scheme be suspended oil completion of the houses under construction, and that the council consider the erection of houses only where application is received from c. purchaser for the council to erect tho dwelling. The committee forwarded, for the information of the council, a statement of account to September 80, 1921.” Councillor J. Burns, in referring to the above clause, said that tho scheme originated in 1919, when thqre was a great dearth of houses, and tho council had decided to assist the Government to copo with the shortage of houses. They had mot with somb difficulties in th© early stages. Land was purchased at Northland for about £3OOO, and it was thought that 50 houses could bo erected, but owing to the configuration of the ground and the area required for reading it was found impossible to erect that number. Tho first ballot in connection with houses erected was held jn August last year, when there wero eight applicants. At the second ballot there wero seven applicants; third, five applicants; fourth, four applicants; and at the fifth ballot, only one applicant. The prices had ranged from £llOO for a four-roomed house to £1775 for a six-roomed house. The hoi. ’-i were purchaseable over a term of 25 years, with 5 per cent, interest and 2 per cent, sinking fund. Two houses were still in hand,, and would be completed in about two months. In view of tha possibility of stopping the works, the committee would like an instruction as to the disposal of tho material in hand. As to tho finances of the scheme, Councillor Burns said the receipts were

Whatever might bo said of the council’s house-building scheme, it could be said that the work was not shoddy. Good work had been put into them, they were well-designed and lighted, and were in all respects a credit to the city. He believed, however, that, the houses bad not reached the people they were intended for. They could not expect working people to purchase houses at auch prices, and if they wero to go on building houses for workers they might consider leasing such houses on a long Councillor H. D. Bennett said that Councillor Burns’s remarks relative to building houses for working people were not the vioiys of the committee. Otherwise ho hifd sot out the work of the committee correctly, and his associates wero convinced that their recommendations should be adopted. Councillor Chapman said that as far as it had gone tho housing policy of the council had been eminently successful. The houses had been expensive, but the circumstances wero beyond tho control of tha council. Councillor T. Forsyth agreed with the recommendation. He asked what was to be done with tho special staff which had been engaged in the housing department. A councillor: City engineer’s department. The Mayor said that with ono exception the housing staff had been drawn from other corporation departments,'and they could be again absorbed. The exception was that of a drafting engineer for whom work t’ns offering at tho powerhouse. The report was adopted.

as follow: — Receipts— £ s. d. Loan raised 10,000 0 0 Deposits on purchases Instalments, principal, 1,312 0 0 and interest 736 6 10 Renta and insurance ... 413 16 11 Advance from District - Fund 17,976 4 3 Total - £30,438 8 2 Expenditure — I,and purchased - 2,099 10 7 Expended on material, construction, etc 28,338 17 7 Total - £30,438 17 7