FUTURE HOUSING NEEDS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25282, 6 September 1947, Page 8

FUTURE HOUSING NEEDS

FIGURES FOR DEMAND QUESTIONED VIEWS OF COMMISSIONER OF WORKS Although there is a grave housitf shortage in New Zealand, partieuW in the metropolitan areas, the ConuD* 5 * sioner of Works (Mr E. R. McKiW' considers that on the broader or term basis the figures popular! quoted as representing the shortageart open to question. He says In his inj" report that these figures would cate that the country will be within the next 15 years with flj 1 ' ing 160,000 to 180,000 houses- ijg senting an expenditure of Mr McKillop says that i ncre h 72 the capital assets of the nation oLu large an amount in this reB ß ect within such a comparatively period must undoubtedly effect on the national economy* . housing taking up more than thirds of the whole building the remaining potential is not sum to satisfy the demands for con cial buildings, hotel accon ? n f2?uirt' industries, and Government req ments for post offices, c ° ur police stations, hospitals, and sen . So far as State housing is concen building has followed tne a PPVjJ lj!emade in the various centres, bw Killop says that these ■PP^rSg» not represent actual needs, ano { general way to provide renecessity the applications couia t duced by approximately 50 P«‘ Applications for State houses « demand which to some extent -.jj balls upon itself, and has res ] l an undue proportion of house* built in the North Island. Of te ,s ‘ ne f ber an undue proportion a rc Auckland and Wellington. Mr McKillop adds that it is ; to arrest this trend with fke c < 2 e p J is at present prevailing but, * joon. this direction are not taken ve r in a few years undesirable will arise prejudicial to tne of the whole country. The «. ment has recently approvea policy of decentralisation ol » beand the benefits of this are ?* r nrO coming apparent in regard to y g oU th industrial expansion m “J® in th® Island If more acfcve steps vf . direction can be taken, ment can be expected aw r ay larger metropolitan areas ana the Soqth Island.