TEE HOUSING PROBLEM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17691, 31 July 1919, Page 5

TEE HOUSING PROBLEM

SUGGESTED REMEDIES.

(Fbom Oun Own PoRREapoNDBNT) AUCKLAND, July SO. While the shortage of housing in Auckland has been forced upon-tho attention of every section of the community, the question of some practical form of relief is proving most difficult to solve. Several house agents stated to-day that they could suggest no form of immediate relief for the present situation. The shortage had grown beyond tlip management of the people, declared one dealer, and to his mind the only possible solution was for the Government to establish a special department to deal with the whole question of housing throughout New Zealand. Even before the war building failed to keep pace with tho natural increase of population. It was over 10 years now since building nouses for renting purposes was considered a. good investment lor money. Those who built houses built them for snJe, and this was bound to be reflected later on in a great dearth of housing accommodation for those, who were unable to find money to build for themselves. A suggestion that some inducement might be given to private building for renting purposes by a reduction of tho property taxation, thus allowing- a larger percentage of rtrofit. met with no support from those interviewed, on the ground that it would be cfuit o impossible to diiFerentiate between those investing their money now and those who are already bearing full taxation for prior investments.

To make any kind of return worth having on money invested in houses for renting said one authority, it must bring in at least 9 per cent, gross or 6 per cent, net .with rente as they wer 0 at present, and he thought it would be useless to try to raise them. The only solution possible to his mind would be for tho Government or local governing tody to institute som o such sen erne for civilians as was now in operation for soldiers—that was, the advancement of money for tho purchase of blocks of land and building on long terms of purchase, incre- would hav 0 to bo a certain measure of standardisation, but the fronts of houses could be varied sufficiently to do away with monotony of design.