SHORTAGE OF HOMES

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25274, 28 August 1947, Page 8

SHORTAGE OF HOMES

MR SULLIVAN URGES FRESH EFFORT

RISING COST OF BUILDING (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, August 27. A complete overhaul of the supply system in New Zealand was urged on the Government by Mr W. Sullivan (Opposition, Bay of Plenty) in the House of Representatives this evening. He claimed this action was one of several needed if the country were to overcome the housing shortage. The Walsh report of 1946 had said no effort would be spared to meet the housing shortage, even’to working longer * hours, but nothing had been done, said Mr Sullivan. An approach should be made to the building and allied trades to consider ways of speeding the building of homes. The Fair Rents Act had a detrimental effect on the provision of houses, since many people with big homes would not let them as flats. Mr Sullivan said it was time the lists of applicants for State houses were purged. He knew of people with aoplications for houses in two or three different towns. He sad the upward trend of building costs prohibited the average person from building his own home. He estimated that the recent Arbitration Court pronouncement would add 2s a foot to present building costs, or £lOO to the cost of a house. There was a need in New Zealand for a more permanent type of home than the average wooden structure, which could not last more than 60 or 70 years.