housing problems

Te Ao Hou, Winter 1952, Page 55

housing problems The fiercest and most comprehensive discussions of the conference were centred on housing. As Mrs Cooper said in her presidential address, all social problems begin with housing. Drunkenness too very frequently results when a husband comes home Members of the Executive of the Maori Women's Welfare League. From left to right: Mrs H. Jacobs, Mrs R. Royal, Mrs M. Swainson, Mrs M. Tamihana, Mrs J. Moss.

and finds an absence of essential home comforts. Mrs M. Tamihana, district representative for Tairawhiti, was chairwoman of the committee. The subject was introduced by Mr J. H. W. Barber, director of Maori housing, who outlined the administration of Maori housing (Information on this subject will be given by Te Ao Hou from time to time; see p. 42 of this issue). Delegates criticised the Department on the high repayments asked of housing applicants on the holdings in the building programme and in the dealing with loan applications; they also asked for a higher allocation of State Housing. After lengthy discussion, the Under Secretary of Maori Affairs, Mr T. T. Ropiha, announced that the Board of Maori Affairs had recently formulated a policy to enable the department to increase the term for repayment from 25 to 35 years where the applicant's income demanded this. Instructions were to go out shortly, and delegates were asked to give the department twelve months' grace to see the effect of the new policy. Conference finally passed several remits aimed at assisting the Maori people. and the department in obtaining housing. They were: A resolution to help the department in recruiting labour for building. A resolution to encourage Maoris to apply for State houses. A resolution to give full publicity to State house tenants and applicants as to their responsibilities as householders.