HOUSING POLICY

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 202, 24 May 1944, Page 8

HOUSING POLICY

Renting Of Homes Condemned EFFECT ON SOCIETY

Quoting Field-Marshal Smuts as saying "The disappearance of the freedomloving individual and his replacement oy a servile mass mentality is- the gi-eale.-i human menace of our time, Mr. M. Fraser, chairman of directors of the Equitable Building and Investment C->. of Wellington, said at the annual meeting of the company yesterday that no single factor had a greater influence in preserving this freedom-loving individual and preventing his disappearance than home ownership and the self-reliant independence which was <(eveloped thereby. "It is regretted, therefore, that the Government has adopted a housing policy opposed to home ownership and build* houses exclusively for rental,” said Ml. Fraser. "We believe this is wrong iu principle and is destructive of the qualities of independence and initiative wbLh have distinguished our people in the past and helps the disappearance to which Field-Marshal Smuts refers. There is a place for State rental houses,- but tils first claim, thereto should rest with that class of people whose circumstances are such that they are unable to build for themselves. It is obvious that of the thousands of people registered for State houses many will never get a State house. “Many of these people have saved some money, even if insufficient to finance homes on usual first mortgage terms, and are prepared to build for themselves, if this handicap is overcome. Surely selfhelp is the best help and the most economical from the national aspect. It is just to meet the needs of such people that the Wellington City Council’s housingscheme was brought into being, to enable them to bridge the gap between the usual 66 2-3rds first mortgage advance and the amount of deposit they are able to provide, by making, possible, with the city council guarantee, an advance of up .to 90 per cent, of the valuation of the house and land.

"A prime factor in these- operations was, and is, the valuable service rendered by the small builder. With mainly his own labour, the small builder provided every year a large proportion of the total homes erected. He built to suit the needs and requirements of people of slender means. His overhead was practically ' nil. In competition with his fellow builders costs of homes were kept to the lowest possible. He was of the greatest help in meeting the acute housing demands of ordinary people, and should have every encouragement and assistance in getting re-established. The sooner he is actively in full operation again the better it will be for the community.” .