PENSIONER COTTAGES City Council awaits Govt decision

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32560, 20 March 1971, Page 18

PENSIONER COTTAGES City Council awaits Govt decision

The Government had still not indicated to the City Council whether the increased subsidies for pensioners’ cottages would apply to the 135 units the council had been authorised to build by the Health Department, said the chairman of the council’s urban renewal and property administration committee, Cr M. R. Carter, yesterday.

The Health Department had approved last year subsidies for the 135 units, loans had been approved, and tenders closed for the first . block on November 4, last year, he said.

“But we were unable to begin building then because the old subsidies were insufficient.” “We are still unable to begin because of lack of information from the Government on whether or not the council will receive the new subsidies,” Cr Carter said.

. The Director-General of ’ Health (Dr D. P. Kennedy) ' had recently requested the ' council to indicate the order of priority for the cottages. Dr Kennedy had also advised 1 that a definite reply to the ■ council’s request for the new . subsidies to apply to the . schemes would not be posi sible within a fortnight ' “So we do not know what

allocation will be made to enable the council to progress with its schemes to provide more pensioner cottages. “The order of priority in the schemes previously approved by the Government under the old subsidies was: Springfield Road (20 cottages), Beachville Road (17), Dyers Road (19), Ferry Road (24), Arran Crescent (14) and Andrews Crescent (41). Waiting list “The council’s waiting list for pensioner cottages is now 377 single women, 59 single men and 27 married couples. The council is concerned that the time between applications and allocations is two years. “The erection of an additional 135 units would substantially reduce this waiting list and should enable the council to provide a better standing of housing for the senior citizens of Christchurch,” Cr Carter said. “While realising the financial problems facing the country and the problems of carrying out essential works, I hope the previously approved pensioners* cottages schemes will receive priority.”