HOUSING SCHEME

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 41, 18 February 1937, Page 10

HOUSING SCHEME

START IN SOUTH

CHRISTCHURCH CONTRACT

The first South Island contract under the State housing scheme will shortly be let in Christchurch, according to information received by the Minister of Industries and Commerce (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary in charge of Housing Construction (Mr. J. A. Lee) (states the Christchurch "Press"). Mr. Sullivan has been informed by Mr. Lee that his Department hoped within the next week or so to call tenders for the erection of 50 houses at Spreydon.

The Government has completed the necessary negotiations for the purchase of a large area of land at Spreydon on which the State houses will be built. The exact locality of the site has not.been divulged, but it is stated to be within easy access of the city, and not an isolated area of land. The final plans for the layout of the sections will be completed as soon as possible and tenders called. This contract will be only the first of a number of large contracts called for the Christchurch scheme, which, it is stated, involves the erection of hundreds of . homes: of all types in various areas which have been purchased in the city. The number of houser selected is smaller than in the case of the first two contracts — for Auckland and Wellington—but this plan has been adopted only to allow the scheme to be pushed ahead more rapidly. Other contracts will be let in such a way that the construction .of a large number of homes will be going on at the same time.

The Spreydon houses will be built not for sale, but for letting to approved tenants. Applications have already been received for homes of this type in Christchurch, and it is expected that, rather than have any difficulty in finding suitable tenants, the Department will have a difficult task in narrowing down the list to suit the number of houses available.