NEW HOUSES LAST YEAR

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27401, 14 July 1954, Page 3

NEW HOUSES LAST YEAR

TOTAL RISES BY 500 TO 16,600 PROGRESS OF GROUP BUILDING (New Zealand Press Association) „ WELLINGTON, July 13. A substantial increase in Govern-ment-built houses has contributed largely to the final figures of housing construction for 1953-54, according to an official announcement today. To the nearest 100, houses built last year in all categories totalled 16,600, as against 16,100 in 1952-53. Figures of Government-built houses included in the total, With last year’s totals in parenthesis, are as follows: — State rental, 2779 (2124); departmental houses built by Housing Construction Division, 582 (652); departmental houses built by other departments, 281 (198); totals, 3642 (2974).

Since the inauguration of the group housing scheme in November, 1953, 223 builders have built or are building 3301 houses in 40 cities and towns, according to an official progress report issued today by the office of the Minister of Housing (Mr W. Sullivan)* At least one-third of the 3301 houses have already been sold. The largest number of builders in the scheme is in Wellington, where 28 have a total housebuilding programme of 850. The figures for other centres are:— Christchurch, 22 builders with 349 houses; Auckland, 21 and 978; Palmerston North, 12 and 137; Dunedin, 12 and 104; Nelson, 12 and 76; Hamilton, 11 and 96; Napier, 11 and 48; New Plymouth, 10 and 52; Wanganui, nine and 71; Hastings, eight and 40; Tauranga, five and 115; Levin, five and 43; Hawera, five and 26; Timaru, four and 24; Blenheim, four and 20; Gisborne, two and 19; Rotorua, two and 12; Invercargill, two and 12.