CITY HOUSING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 243, 13 October 1936, Page 5

CITY HOUSING.

COUNCIL'S INTEREST.

FLATS AND DWELLINGS.

REVIVAL OF SUBJECT. It was learned 011 inquiry to-day that the Auckland City Council intends to discuss further a housing scheme, in view of the announcement by the Mill istcr of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, that the Government is prepared to -allocate £1,.'>00,000 to local authorities at 3 per cent interest. The question of housing in the city was raised by the Auckland City Council I in July of 1930, when it was proposed I to build 125 flats in Grey's Avenue, and I 125 semi-detached houses 011 a site that was not disclosed, the total estimated cost being £200,000. When that point had been reached it was decided to apply to the Local Government Loans Board for authority to raise the money without a poll of ratepayers, a decision which led to considerable discussion when the proposal came before the council. Finally it was decided to leave the housing proposal in abeyance until details of the Government scheme of housing were made known. 111 1923 the Auckland City Council launched a housing scheme and let a contract for the erection of 50 workers' dwellings at Grey Lynn, it being the first batch of some hundreds that it was intended to build. The council, without a poll of ratepayers, arranged with the Government State Advances Department for a loan of £40.000 at 4} per cent. The contract for buildinT was let in September of that year, and the houses were completed by August of the following year. The total price for construction was £780 per house. The land on which the houses were erected was freehold property of the City Council, and it was arranged that the purchasers sliou'd acnuire an absolute conveyance of the properties, subject only to the council's mortgage for the balance of the purchase moneys. The prices of the sections varied from £100 to £300. according to situation, area and configuration. The total price of the dwellings varied from £1045 to £1185, the average cost of the 50 houses being £1111.