HOUSING SHORTAGE.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 October 1921, Page 5

HOUSING SHORTAGE.

POSITION IN NEW PLYMOUTH. RESIDENTS IN PUBLIC HALL. The question of the housing shortage in New Plymouth was raised at last night’s meeting of the Borough Council, when a letter was read concerning the temporary use of the public hall at Fitzroy as dwelling apartments. On behalf of the Fitzroy Ratepayers’ Association, Mr. O. Johnson wrote stating that the executive understood the occupants of the were now vacating the premises, as they had found the housing problem' less acute. The association, therefore, desired the council to have the building restored to its former condition, and asked that this be done at the earliest opportunity, because there was no other building in the district suitable for public purposes. Commenting on the letter, the inspector (Mr. R. Day) stated that the rush for a beach cottage owned by the council, and which had just been vacated, did not indicate that the housing difficulty had eased much. He had five applicants already, one of whom had offered a premium of £2. In reply to a councillor the inspector said he did not know the hall was being vacated. The tenant of one apartment had left, hut the two other apartments were still being occupied. It was decided to inform the Fitzroy Association that the housing difficulty hs>.d not eased sufficiently to allow of the council resuming possession of the hall at present.