STATE FLATS

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 108, 2 November 1940, Page 10

STATE FLATS

BERHAMPORE BLOCK

MINISTER AT OPENING

FIFTY UNITS

The State-owned block at Berhampore, comprising 50 flats, ranging in size from the bed-sitting-room type to the three-bedroom type, was opened officially yesterday afternoon by the Minister of Housing (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong). The ceremony took place in the communal social room in the centre of the grounds. Associated with the Minister were the Mayor of Wellington (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop), Mr. R. McKeen, M.P. for the district, and the Director of Housing Construction (Mr. Albertson). Among those present in the gathering of over one hundred were the Hon. Vincent Ward, M.L.C., the Hon. D. Wilson, M.L.C., and several other members of Parliament.

The event was one he had looked forward to for almost two years, said Mr. McKeen, who presided. He said he did. not suppose there was another part of the Dominion where the housing shortage was so acute as it was lin his electorate. After the Labour Party became the Government, he convinced the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, who was then Minister of Education, of the desirability of the site, and the land was transferred from the Education Department to the Housing Department. He was delighted with the finished job. Not only were the flats centrally situated, but they were also very handy to splendid recreation facilities. In expressing the hope that the Minister would be able to continue the good work he was doing, Mr. McKeen said he had "his eye on" an old brick works in Rintoul Street for housing purposes.

The housing scheme was a credit to the Government, said Mr. McKeen. There was an amount of £4,000,000 on the Estimates this year for housing and possibly that amount would be increased each year in accordance with availability of labour and materials. "The Government is doing a wonderful job of work and I think they deserve the congratulations of the people of this Dominion," he concluded.

THE MAYOR'S PRAISE.

The Mayor highly praised the flats, their lay-out, and the general surroundings. "Candidly, I have seldom had such a delightful surprise as I have had this afternoon," he said. Mr. Hislop congratulated all concerned in the work and spoke of the splendid advance the Government had.made in the direction of improving the housing problem. The Wellington City Council had collaborated by making land available. to the Government at the cost of servicing. The council also had its own little scheme to help people to build their own houses if they were able to find 10 per cent, of the total cost. One of the great problems was to build houses that were good and healthy and could be made available to the people at rentals bearing d reasonable . proportion to earnings. The flats were an example that he hoped would be followed. He was sure the tenants would live happily and pleasantly in them.

"To secure one of these flats was something like getting a win in 'Tatts.'," said Mr. Armstrong. "At least there were as many applicants." The provision of suitable housing was one of the greatest and most serious problems the city had to face at the present time. At the rate the Housing Department had been able to build houses in the Dominion the youngest present would be getting the old-age pension before the Department caught up on the problem. The Department, however, tried to cater for the needs of everybody as far as was humanly possible, but one difficulty was that the class of home that was most suitable for one family would be an impossible place for another family.

The flats were built on an area of two acres, said the Minister. In order to build in Wellington for people who wished to be centrally situated it was necessary to group as many as possible on the site. If the ordinary homes with the usual amount of garden space had been built in this case, fewer people would have been accommodated on the area. The Minister mentioned that probably next week tenders would be called for the block of 116 flats the Department is to erect in Upper Dixon Street. In the case of these flats, the building would go up higher into the air. As far as possible New Zealand labour and materials were used in construction of the Department's. houses and flats. •.-..-. .. TOTAL COST OF £60,000.

The total cost of the Berhampore block, including land, was roughly about £60,000. There were in the block 12 flats of the bed-sitting-room type, 10 of the one-bedroom type, 26 of the two-bedroom type, and two of the three-bedroom type. Lighting and cooking were by electricity and there were open and gas fires for heating. Each flat had not been given a washhouse because that would have taken up too much space, but communal washhouses were provided which he thought would work out equally as well. Drying space was provided on the roofs and in parts of the grounds, and in addition there was a wet-day drying room, where clothes could be dried in about 20 minutes.. Other facilities included indoor wireless aerials, two public telephone slots, a room in charge of the caretaker for storing heavy trunks, and eleven j motor garages built underneath the | front of the block. At night the grounds would be suitably lit. Shrubs comprising 380 different varieties had been planted and also 130 flowering trees. Mr. Armstrong congratulated the contractors and the sub-contractors on the fine result they had achieved. He said that the gross rental from the fiats would be £76 17s weekly or £3996 4s a year.

Afternoon tea was served and the opportunity was given visitors of inspecting the flats under the guidance of the clerk of works.