EMPTY HOUSES IN WELLINGTON

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 14571, 15 January 1948, Page 2

EMPTY HOUSES IN WELLINGTON

NO ENFORCED LETTING

Legislation Apparently 1 Not Effective

Plight Of Hundreds J People

The legislation which was na* * towards the end of the last sessin Parliament providing for the vi* pulsory letting of unoccupied hnjr does not seem in any way to h yi helped the hundreds of person?!! Wellington who are living i n .£. satisfactory accommodation % the Evening Post. ' Sa f According to inquiries mad? - : the Wellington City Council, yd has not been one unoccupied WW in the city the owner of which f! been directed to make his pro^r 1 available for tenancy. ,-£?■

The Town Clerk (Mr■ E. p •»'.,' man) said that no effort had iS made to find unoccupied housed "There is no one to do it." -jO ports of such houses were made! the council action would be \Ar and the State Advances Corporal would be advised. To the pr ese F no such reports had been made a/ consequently, there had been i advantage from the legislation. (fi There were possibly some owJ Mr Norman said, who knowing m the legislation was now law, £ let houses which had been 3 occupied. ]g

The amendment to the Fair R J Act states that when any local aiii ority is satisfied that any W'i within its district is unoccupied affi for 28 days or more ..has been 11 occupied or only. occasionally ocritc pied, the local authority may %e the owner to make the house avajln able for immediate occupation. Ttfej house may be let either furnishedcHe unfurnished at the option of m owner. There is right of appeal k Little advantage has been takeje; also, of the offer by the council M give free advice to persons who tim to convert houses into flats. ME service has been available forll long* time, but there has been m increase in the numbers applyfeh: for advice since the offer was mi publicity in October. ]ii . The building branch of the Cm Engineer's Office said that in thekf J three months permits for the ccjd; version of houses to flats had beep granted which would make avail able only 12 extra units. Thereto been permits granted for the buir* ing of only two two-unit flats. | If an owner wishes to convet' 8 his house into two or more flats m can apply to the building brancf-. who will send an officer to inspet-j the dwelling with the owner. Advidfl of the practicability of the convei^ : sion, the number of units whit;?* would be most suitable, and detail of the work which would have to done will be given without charjill If ...the owner decides to go aheaiff with the conversion he may $m "consult his own architect an|| builder. 1 A by-law has been with, and in certain circumstanced, wooden buildings may now be cck:. verted into flats. u.