HOUSING

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 294, 11 December 1943, Page 4

HOUSING

I should like to tell "Equality of Sacrifice" our experiences in trying to help. Having an extra large house with beautiful grounds left us, we decided on spending several hundreds on converting this spacious mansion into three or four self-con-tained convenient flats, which we would let at a reasonable rent. Well, after the builder's plans, quotes, etc., were 0.K., a very sympathetic and helpful gentleman from the Government came with a few minor details and alterations. All the walls and floor had to be lined and fireproofed, another washhouse had to be built when there already was an outside laundry, the section next door couldn't be sold, we had to obtain permission to spend our money on our home from about seven unfriendly neighbours, and many other enthusiasm - dampening, ridiculous and unnecessary details, when people were existing in tents and hovels, Without all this fuss one couldn't even put a sink or a bath in one of the 14 rooms to make it habitable for two families. No wonder people are compelled to live in rabbit warrens of places, families sharing conveniences and kitchens. Ask any landlord how much he would like to improve the facilities of his apartment house or flats but is tied hand and foot by ridiculous by-laws. As for us, and hundreds of others, -we still have a white elephant of a house, a dead financial loss, with acres of empty rooms, with a beautiful view of the sea.

TOO MUCH INTERFERENCE.