MINISTER SPEAKS ON HOUSING OF MAORIS

Press, Volume C, Issue 29502, 2 May 1961, Page 6

MINISTER SPEAKS ON HOUSING OF MAORIS

(New Zealand Press Association)

U’vW WWUNGTON. May 1. At least 1165 Maori families obtained new homes during the year ended March 31. 1961, said the Minister of Maori Affairs (Mr Hanan) today. The Minister said that the record number of 700 houses was built during the year under the home-ownership scheme of the Department of Maori Affairs or under the Rehabilitation Act This compared with 623 houses for the previous year. The areas in which the 700 new houses were built were: North Auckland, 107; Auck-land-Waikato, 255; Rotorua. Bay of Plenty, Urewera, 115: Gisborne.East Coast, 68: Wansanui-Taranaki, 63; Palmerston North. Wellington. Hawke’s Bay. 80; South Island. 12. State Rental Houses Besides these 700 houses, five houses were bought under the same schemes, and 12 bouses were financed with Maori trustee loans. Mr Hanan said that 102 State rental houses were allo, cated to Maori families in centres where the depart-

ment administered special State-rental housing pools for Maori families.

It had been established also that at least 346 Maori families obtained houses during the year with financial help from agencies other than the Maori Affairs Department, said Mr Hanan. It was most difficult to obtain accurate information regarding the number of Maori people with houses in thia category. Though tile department knew of 346 cases, this was a minimum figure only. There could be a significant number of Maori people who had obtained houses without the help of the Maori Affairs Department

He pointed out that of the 1165 houses obtained by Maori families during the year, the great majority were on a home-ownership basis, under which the Maori householders assumed all the resnonsibilsties.

Mr Hanan said he was grateful to be able to record such progress. Full credit should go to the Maori people for the efforts they were making to improve their housing, through the various home-ownership schemes.