Most Work Of Department With Housing

Taupo Times, Volume XIV, Issue 46, 15 June 1965, Page 9

Most Work Of Department With Housing

Abont 90 per cent of the work of the Madri Affairs Department in Taupo concerned housing, Mr P. Harrison tpld the Taupo Kotary Clufo • 011 Thursday , night. There was a staff of t'hree at the Taupo office which controlled the area stretehing from the Hatepe : bridge to Tirau. The department encourag-

ed applicants for housing loans to open savings deposit accounts, particularly through the assignment of wages. Building of a house could not proeeed until such time as applicants had sufficient savings to bridge the gap between the housing loan and the cost of house and section. The department bought

O sections with a ceiling price of £700 on behalf of clients. Mr Harrison said, for obvious reasons, it v/as department policy not to buy adjacent sections. Last year, the department had financed erect°#on of 20 honses in Taupo and Nukuhau. The houses ; accommodated 125 people. -It was a condition of housing loans that substandard houses must be demolished before a new home was occupied. During 1964 the department had arranged for the demolition of six sub-stand-ard dwellings and it was hoped that six more would be pulled down during the eurrent year. At the present time the department had 32 housing loans outstanding. Some were held up through insufficient funds in deposit accounts, but many of the applications were ready to go ahead as soon as builders were available. Occupier.s of new homes were given advice on home care hy a female welfare officer of the department and advice on the layout of grounds was also available,