STATE RENTAL

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22661, 16 March 1939, Page 10

STATE RENTAL

HOMES Present Method Of Allocation NO BALLOTS SINCE 1937 (PBES3 ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, March 15. Expanding his remarks in Auckland about the system of allocating State rental houses, the Minister for Housing, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, said that the Press Association message summarising the remarks made by him in Auckland gave the impression that the departure from the method of balloting applications was only now being abandoned in favour of the selection of tenants according to the urgency of individual cases. The Minister made it clear that the houses were allocated in such a way as to give preference to the most needed cases. To remove a misunderstanding which apparently still persists regarding the ballot method of allotting tenancies, Mr Armstrong said that actually only three lots of houses had ever been ballotted for. and those ballots were held “away back” in 1937, for some houses at Miramar, Lower Hutt, and Johnsonville. It had been intended about that time to ballot the first lot of houses available in Auckland, but the ballot was abandoned. Ever since 1937. said Mr Armstrong, the method adopted has been one of individual selection based on the length of time the application has been lodged, together with the urgency of the applicant’s particular circumstances. At the time these ballots were held the number of applications for new houses was comparatively small, and it was thought that balloting would be the fairest method, but as soon, as the quality of the houses became apparent thousands of people who had not previously contemplated applying sent in applications, and within a few weeks the whole aspect of the allocation question changed completely. “Examples Still Quoted” “Unfortunately many applicants whose request for a new house has not yet been satisfied still quote as examples of unfair allocation the cases of people who secured houses in the 1937 ballots under which it is quite possible people who were then suitably housed were fortunate enough to draw a new house in the ballot,” said Mr Armstrong. “The committee associated with the State Advances Corporation which selects tenants according to their urgency seeks to be quite fair in finding a basis of comparison between the almost innumerable different sets of family circumstances which can arise, and I consider it does its work very satisfactorily. "The Government hopes, with the acceleration of the building programme. which should become possible as a result of the immigration of skilled labour now proceeding, to reduce the period of waiting for houses, but naturally it will take some’little time for this improvement to become apparent. “To those whose housing needs are urgent I would repeat the advice which I have given previously through the newspapers that they should keep the nearest branch office of the State Advances Corporation informed of their circumstances so that the committee will have up-to-date information before it when allocations are being made.”