The Housing Shortage

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 190, 8 May 1943, Page 4

The Housing Shortage

Sir,— May I call attention to an absurd statement in Thursday’s “Dominion’ on z the housing shortage? Everyone will agree that the bousing position is acute, but the origin of this goes back muen further than “the five or six years when the trouble first started.” according to vour informant. Private enterprise failed its far back as 1916 to provide houses m sufficient number. In that year the Government bv means of the War Legislation Amendment Act impos&l restrictions on increases of rents during the war. Obviously the duty of that Government was to establish a house-building department and give every encouragement to people to’erect their own homes. This was not done and the shortage became increasingly acute as years passed on. This was a. problem inherited by the Labour Government when it assumed office in 19ou. Thousands of houses have since been built, and but for the war many hundreds more would have been erected. Plans are in hand for acceleration of building immediately qn easing of the war position makes this possible. Tlie present Government is in no way responsible for the tragic position of thousands of persons through inadequate housing.—l am, etc., C. H. CHAPMAN. M.P. Wellington, April 29.