HOUSING PROBLEMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 139, 15 June 1938, Page 6

HOUSING PROBLEMS.

PLANS FOR CHEAPER HOMES. (To the F#ditor.) Much has been said and written about housing. many complaining tliat the ii'oveminent houses are beyond, the means of most urticans a nil working class people, let aloii ■■ pensionerc. So far tlie Gov eminent honker, have been eagerly nought, but many people lose <ight of the fiiet 'hat those getting them vacate home.-. that become available for othcin paying less: an<l su indirectly a part of thaL rlacri are accommodated also. The council an I Government have failed to do their best for t his city. Oil the open space at Wet-tern Spiingthey havo spent £170,000 (more or loss), reprerentiug i'-lO.OiM) city and X. 1.'i0.000 Government, expenditure, in merely levelling enough to furm a golf course for the privileged few, »In n a fraction of the eoi-t would have fitted it for a housing .scheme. tlie rest of the money anl J L-rha p« more added creating an asset for posterity. Many years ago in mv early duvs private enterprise in the town of Windsor turned a waste estate, part of the Va licit tart estate, into workers' and pour people's homes — a square of attached four-roomed hou-iv, attractively built in brick, two .toreyed, Mirjrounded by a road, about 100 dwelling* each side, with an open space, well kept, where children could play and old people might -it and be finite safe. The front doors ia.-ed tins street and a pa-sage lx'tween every two h"Ui»es led to the backdoors and 1 h:■ centre -<jii.ii these pa»-ages being nu<ler the u; i, m • rooms. These were let at .'S/4 Weeklv. -ay they let at 10/ bere. 11l other street- rimilar houses of six rooms were built for lease, with a nominal ground rent for W years. There, houses could be. and were, let for 7/ weekly (say. ].">/ here and now). I n<lu-t rious persons might buy a home, or any number "f the houses, to let for an assur-M income during their life when past work. Surely some r-iii-h scheme with city or Government money <-uiiM be carried out in "God's Own Country'' nnl would pay for itself, and so provide home- lor all classes. BUILDER FROM A ROYAL BOROPCH.