HOMES FOR CHILDREN

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 49, 27 February 1937, Page 8

HOMES FOR CHILDREN

(To the Editor.)

Sir.—Where is this housing shortage leading to? I know of two immediate cases of women with young school children who are under notice "to vacate the rooms that .they are living in»'- ; - Both have .paid .their, rents, r but the owners say that "they .need the rooms for their own use. ■

It seems extremely difficult to find a place in Wellington that will have a mother and her children; the stock answer is, "I couldn't possibly have children." What a.travesty! All over the country the papers give \ considerable space to the fact that the birthrate is declining .and there are pleas for more' children, but those that are here are considered ■as some kind of nuisance to the numerous- landladies in Wellington. There must be dozens of parents in the same heart-breaking situation. ,■ . '■ ':.'!■..

Another difficulty arises because some persons rent • several houses for the purpose of letting out more rooms, j and, incidentally, they exclude a few more parents and their children. Usually, these persons can afford to j pay substantially in advance, while the family tenant is only able-to-pay out a week or two forward: It makes me indignant when I hear how'little ones are kept out of a decent place to live. Those people who are fortunate enough to have a house of their own for their own children to be happy in will be unable to see into the minds of these parents who are worried to death over their housing problems, .and' those who could let rooms to them, but will not, do not want to see. If I had any say in the country's welfare, I would not be content that the children merely had schooling, but that they had a happy and comfortable place in which to live, -lam, etc.. • BENEDI CT.