BETTER HOUSING SOUGHT

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22110, 4 June 1937, Page 12

BETTER HOUSING SOUGHT

OLDAGE PENSIONERS SPECIAL COMMITTEE'S REPORT REQUEST TO BE MADE TO CITY COUNCIL The City Council is to be asked to Consider sending a recommendation to the Government seeking the provision of suitable homes in Christchurch for indigent persons and oldage pensioners, This request is to be made by a committee comprised of representatives of the City Council, the Christchurch Drainage.Board, and the Department of Health. This-com-iriittee met yesterday afternoon, and its decision was announced to "The Press" by its chairman. Dr. T. Fletcher Telford, Medical Officer of Health for the Canterbury-Westland district. The committee has b?en investigating complaints that in seme parts of the city there are deplorable housing conditions, particularly in "baches" and subdivided houses. The committee was formed after strong criticism of the condition of these dwellings had been expressed by the Drainage Board in June and July of last year, and. since then several inspections of city properties have been made by .the committee. Dr. Telford said it had been agreed fcy the committee that the conditions in certain tenement buildings were most undesirable, and it considered that the matter should be brought before the Government. It had decided to act through the Christchurch City Council," and it' proposed to ask the council to recommend the Government to provide suitable dwellings for old-age pensioners and indigent persons. Suggested, Rental "The committee feels that dwellings should be provided for these people at a reasonable rent, so that they will not be forced live in hovels. Until the Government or local authorities take up:'.the matter it is not possible to turnv'these people out of their homes, no matter how undesirable the living conditions may be. That ■would only make the situation worse. The committee wants the Government or local authorities to enter into r a building programme, not for extravafant homes', but for dwellings that can e rented for, say, 6s to 9s a week." ' Dr. Telford added that the proposal had yet to. be sponsored by the City Council, but it was most desirable that some such building scheme should be Drought into operation. In the meantime the City Council would, he . understood, tighten up the application ©f its building by-laws to prevent any further deterioration in housing conditions. It was generally irealiaedi'that during the depression it had not been advisable -to insist on the. Strict enforcement of the- by Jaws-, because it would have nieaht ;th£t ; > many persons in poor circumstances:>w.pujd have been asked to gay higher rents than they could afford. Government's Attitude The Government's attitude towards the problem of providing adequate housing for old-age pensioners has been indicated by the Parliamentary! "Under-Secretary for Housing' (Mr J. A. Lee). Last December Mr Lee inspected housing conditions in Christchurch, and stated that the problem of providing accommodation for the pensioner who had . been compelled to live in a very old house, which otherwise would be abandoned or abolished, was one of which the Prime Minister was well aware. "The Ministry of Housing Intends, after its main schemes of construction have been launched, to devote attention to this matter, and see if it will be possible to evolve a scheme of high-grade but cheap houses for pensioner, couples," he said. "Until there is sornfe such provision it is difficult to disturb; such colonies of pensioners as are housed- in certain parts of Christchurch."