THE HOUSING SHORTAGE

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24269, 29 May 1944, Page 4

THE HOUSING SHORTAGE

+ “TEMPORARY SHACKS NO SOLUTION? VIEW OF COMMISSIONER OF WORKS (P.A.) AUCKLAND, May 27. The opinion that temporary stoda were no solution to the housing anort-; age was made to-day by the (JteittU* sioner of Works (Mr James TOtebtt). Many proposals put forward ven found, on expert examination;'tow totally unsound, he declared. He stated that if the Government called on** Ministry of Works to-day to erect 2yW State houses costing £3OO each togjW the requirements of Wellington Qy, these homes could be completed vmoffl six months. They would certainly gte* coverage for 2000 families but he oumtioned whether there were 2000 trollies in Wellington to-day without l roof over their heads; and a roOf flver their heads was all they would get ** £3OO. Referring to the small builder, * Fletcher said the defence programs* was so planned that none of these »» lost his identity. It was arranged tWhe retained his labour, and he reverjM back to his status as a small buil/Pl contractor immediately the big-coP’ tracts were finished. The small builflW to-day could get from one to 20 hotwdi from the Housing Department, accord* ing to his manpower and organisation or he could get a permit to build tfn* vate houses as long as the floor artl was within the limits fixed. ' With the defence construction pwgramme finishing, permits for individual buildings would be released «> a greater extent, but men and materiw would be the governing factors. School buildings, hospital additions, knd *•*" tain public services still had to M completed.