STILL GOING BACK

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 113, 9 November 1921, Page 6

STILL GOING BACK

THE DEFICIENCY IN HOUSE ACCOMMODATION

In the matter of providing house accommodation for the people, the position in Wellington is going from bad to worse, according to Mr. G. Mitchell, M.P. "The last Census," he states, " showed that the average yearly increase in the population of Greater Wellington was 2666 people. At the average number of 4^ persons per house, it would take 592 new homes to house them, or a total of 3552 for six years. But we have only built 1788 houses in that time, leaving a deficiency of 1764. Add a minimum of 300 houses, which should be destroyed in the interest of public health and decency, and we have a total shortage of 2064 houses since 1916." Mr. Mitchell gives the following figures, showing the number of houses actually built and the deficiency worked out on the basis given above: —

"It was expected that a considerable improvement would haive been shown last year," adds Mr. Mitchell, "but we only built 348 houses, adding 244 to the deficiency. The high cost of labour and material arid the'shortage of money, together with the general ■unceTtainty, has deterred enterprise. A substantial cheapening in the materials, method, and construction of houses is urgently required."

■ • ■ i Houses Built 1916 314 1917 370 1918 .......:.... 224 1919 193 1920 339 1921 348 Totals 1788 It. J Deficiency. 278 222 368 399 . 253 244 1764