SHATTERED HOPES

Hokitika Guardian, 20 September 1928, Page 1

SHATTERED HOPES

THIRTY-NINE HOUSES EMPTY NORTHCOTE SETTLEAIENT FAILURE. (Lyttelton Times). CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 19. Intended by tlie Government to be developed into a model suburb on modern toivn planning lines, the housing settlement near Northcoto Rond, Papanui, lias instead become, one of the greatest failures in the history of Stnto enterprise in the Dominion.

Yesterday morning-, when a reporter visited the settlement, only sixteen of the fifty-five houses were occupied, and he was informed that some of the present tenants were- only waiting for an opportunity to shift out. * ORIGINAL SCHEME.

There are many reasons for the failure of the settlement, but the Government does not seem to have profited by its original mistakes, and, according, to the information given to the re--porter, is not disposed to cut its. losses I and make the best of a bad bargain. The original intention, in 1920, was to build a. model settlement, consisting of severity-seven houses, together with - a community hall, children’s playground and suitable shops, but Very soon, after the scliemo was put in hand • it was discovered that these liojies coukl not he realised. Instead of seventy-seven houses., tlie number was reduced to fifty-five, n.nd the community hall and shops have never been erected.

For the- first few years of its existence the settlement 1 met with varying success. There was a very great shortage of houses at that time, and many people were only too glad to take, a cottage in .tlie Northeote Settlement until they could find other places handier to their work, but at no time were all the houses occupied. Indeed, there wore usually over/ a dozen of them .vacant. However, all hut two of the houses have at some time or another had tenants. These two have been avoided on account of having been particularly damp. Since the housing shortage in Christchurch has been overcome there has been a steady exodus from Northeote, notwithstanding tlie fact that between forty and fifty houses have been erected privately within a radius of a quarter of a mile of the settlement since 1920. High rents, a dislike of the community idea of living, and dampness in the houses are stated to lie the main reasons for the unpopularity of the settlement, but the distance from the city has boon another very strong objection. BENTS TOO HIGH.

As far as the houses themselves are concerned there has been little complaint. They are substantial concrete structures finished with roughcast and red roofing tiles, and contain all mod•ern conveni-on'ces except gas. Tlie rents, however, are -considered to he much too high in view of the distance from the city. .The rents charged for the five-roomed cottages is 30s a week, arid for those with four rooms it is about 265, rates and lighting being additional ehargos. Some of the people who have been living in the ho uses have given them up solely on account of being unable to pay these rents, and fourpenny tram fares as well. Many of the men, of course, cycled to their work in the city, hut they found the distance a severe strain on them. On numerous occasioris the Government has been Urged to cut its losses, and either sell the houses to the highest bidders, or reduce tlie rents to reasonable amounts, but neither of these suggestions has been adopted.

One man who has watched the exodus from the .settlement remarked Yesterday that if the Government would lie prepared to let the houses at n rental of about 17s a week lie felt certain that they would all le occupied within a. very short time. “Working people cannot afford to pay 30s a week rent,” lie added "but they could payhalf that amount. There is nothing wrong with the bouses. They are well built and quite comfortable to live in, but they are not worth the high rents asked for them.’ 1 PROPERTY DETERIORATING.

During the past few months the Government lias gone to a good deal of expense repairing broken windows and, doors, and tiie condition of the houses is now better than it lias been for some time past. However tbe absence of tenants is resulting in a gradual deterioration of the properties and it is quite apparent that unless something is done, fairly sooii to bring the houses int ooc-eupation they will greatly depreciate in value. As the buil lings arc of concrete they cannot he moved to other parts of Christchurch such as could be done with wooden structures.

UNSUITABILITY OF SITE. When the site for the settlement was selected the Government was warned of its unsuitability from a drainage point of view, hut, instead of heeding the warning, went about the job in its own way. Little thought appears to have been given to drainage. The result was that in some cases tiie foundations of the houses were about fivo feet high and in others only about a foot. When the. houses were completed the work of levelling tile land was begun. The result was that in a number of cases the space round tiie houses was filled up two or three feet, leaving the' ground under the buildings considerably below flic outside surface. In consequence .of this water gets under the houses after each heavv rain and is unable to drain

This matter was mentioned at a jjuhlie meeting held in Pnpamii in Sept. 1920. The clerk of the AVaimairi County Council criticised the absence of filling in between the concrete foundations of tile houses, and declared that tho site was one of tiie worst that could be chosen. At that time the foundations of a few of tlic houses only had been made. Another speaker at tiie same meeting expressed the opinion that til lay-out was “rotten to tiie core."

The drainage difficulties have, however, been overcome to a large extent by the construction of a big drain on tiie east side of the settlement. This lias enabled the flood waters to get away hut it has not removed the trouble caused by water getting under a number of houses. HEAVY LOSSES.

The losses made by- the Government in connection with the settlement must he very considerable. The original cost was over £60,000 and heavy expenses have had to he met since then. In addition to the loss of interest oil the capital the outlay there has been considerable difficulty- in collecting tbe rents from many of the tenants, some ofjjfvhom, it is stated, have cleared out owing largo amounts which could not be collected. The settlement was established by the Hdbsitig Branch of the Labour Department, but since the abolition of

that branch, it lias been under the direct control of the Superintendent of the State Advances Department. That official made a thorough inspection of the settlement recently and it is expected that as a result of his visit some action will be taken with a. view to disposing of the houses to tho best advantage. ,