Almost Slum Conditions

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 148, 10 July 1937, Page 6

Almost Slum Conditions

-Own Correspondent.)

AUCKLAND PROBLEM Startling Aspects Revealed by Housing Survey

18 IN ONE HOUSE

(By Telegraph-

AUCKLAND, Last JNignt. Startling aspects of the present housing problem in Auckland city and suburbs are expected to he revealed as the result of the housing survey now being catried out by local bodies in the Auckland metropolitan area. Inquiries disclose that reasonably-equipped houses are practieally impOssible to obtain for iental and that in some cases the position suggests almost the approach of slum conditions. It is reported by one loeal hody that 15 people are occupying- a six-roomed house, while a city land agent said this morning tbat he knew of a case where 18 people" occupied a five-roomed house. He had personally investigated the position and had evidence and correspondence to prove his assertion. Before he let the house the applicant said he had a wife and four children. Some time afterwards he ha-i to make some inquiries owing to the water rate having inereased and it w&s reported to him that there were *3=9 -people living in the dwelling. Ke told the tenant's wife what he had heard and her reply wasy "It 's a lie— ^hefe are * onlv ^dghteen of usl" Nothing Available. In every instanee when a house agent was asked this morning to state the posation as far as houses for rent wero concerned, a Press representative received the same reply: "Nothing available. ' ' One prominent agent said that the Government would have to do far more than was being attempted now "to m.eet the demand for houses. "If 500 or 600 houses could he put up ove'rnight it would considerably ease the position, " he commented. ' ' Orakei has been talked about for more than a year, and the Government is now completing the first batch of houses, but in the meantime the population has been increasing and with the depressxon over more marriages are taking place and conseqnently more houses are required. It is not necessary for a landTlord to jgive an agent a house to let these days. A tenant has only to whisper to the butcher or the baker that he intenda moving, when he will immediately be pestered by dozens of people to be gdven 'the first chance. ' The daily. house caller is the beat broadcaster ia the country. He can beat the wireless aU the time. It's really nncanny how; people get to know that somebody contemplates a move." Another agent sai-1 that landlords resented the Fair Rents Act, limiting the amount of rent that could be charged and his view was general with all house agents interviewea. One put it this way: "Wlien the slump was on the reasonable landlord made concesaaons and in numerous instances reduced rent to a minimum. Now, with a change of administration and better times, he is debarred from increasing the rent, and so his sole idea is to sell and get quit of his property. On the other hani, the hard man who demanded his pound of flesh throughout the depression period is ' sitting pretty, ' so to Speak and lias not nearlv* the same amount of worries as the other fellow."" Subletting. The complaint of a property ownse' was that people were defeating the in-' •tention of the legislation hy suhletting. "People are inaking fortunea out of tho present position," he -said. "I know of one person who has rented three houses, and divided them all int0 rooming plaees. Her method is to appoint an agent, the payment being on# of the fooms free of rent. This agent '3 duty is €0 colleet from the roomers. For a room in the city with a few sticks of furniture it is easy to get I2/C or 15/a week. In fact, rooms are almost at a premium, and this sort of thing will go on as loflg as the house shortage continues. People cannot afEor-l to pay; even t)ie rents proposed by the Government for the houses now being built." Asked if the landlord could not move the Court to increase the rent in sueli cases, this informant said that that was possible, but it took time and worry, and many property owners did not want to go to so mueb trouble to obtain "a fair deal." He thought there should.be greater restrictions imposed by local bodics in respect to rooming houses. "Nobody would dreain of building houses to rent," sai-1 the representativa of a suburban real estate ageney, "What js happeuing is that people who can find sufficient deposit money ara buying hoqses, but they are not numerous. What we find is a growing demand for the purehase of dwellings on the 'no deposit' systeni. Some old places haVe been sold under that condition, but not many. The houseowner usually demands his equity in a property as a deposit, but if a prospective client is in a permanent position he may accept a moderate sum down, but there are not many saies finalised on those terms."