TEMPORARY HOUSES

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 54, 1 September 1945, Page 8

TEMPORARY HOUSES

STATE AND LOCAL BODIES

A co-operative plan between the State and local bodies to faciilitate the provision of transit and temporary housing so as to help meet the pressing demand for houses and, in particular, the requirements of those in urgent need of. accommodation, was announced last night by Mr. Nash, Minister in Charge of State Advances and chairman of the War Assets Realisation Board. The Government has decided to offer to local bodies, free of cost, surplus service camps and certain other buildings that have been used for war activities. It was appreciated, said the Minister, that, in addition to the normal housing construction programme, both State and private, now being carried out, it was necessary to take some steps to provide temporary housing accommodation and arrangements to that effect were being made with various local authorities throughout the Dominion. "In some cases where service camps are situated upon Government-owned land the Government will itself provide transit or temporary housing accommodation," said Mr. Nash. "Where local authorities so desire surplus buildings in service camps will be made available to them free of cost, and in cases where it is necessary or advisable to transfer the buildings from privately^owned land on which they are at present situated to other land under the control of the local authority i the Government will arrange for the delivery of the buildings or materials to the new sites. In these cases it is proposed that local authorities will themselves take the initiative by advising the Government of their requirements in connection with the buildings in the area of which they are in control and subsequently accepting the responsibility for the "erection or alteration of the buildings and the allocation of tenancies, collection of rents, and provision of maintenance and supervision, etc. IMMEDIATE START. "The Government is anxious that the scheme should be commenced immediately, and the local bodies which have housing problems and desire to co-operate with the Government should communicate at pnee with the Commissioner of Works at Wellington when arrangements will be discussed with them to facilitate the use of the buildings in their area or the transfer of buildings from one place in the area of the local authority to another which is more convenient. "It is unnecessary at this stage to stress the housing problem which exists in this and all other countries. Although much progress has been made in the Dominion, there is .still a serious shortage which will remain until a larger supply of skilled labour and required materials are available. Full details of the procedure in connection with the proposals will be made available to all. local authorities on request. "Discussions have already proceeded with the local authorities in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin, and it is hoped that some alleviation of the existing conditions will be provided in a reasonably short time."