THE HOUSING SCHEME

Evening Star, Issue 22722, 9 August 1937, Page 8

THE HOUSING SCHEME

TENDERS FOR OVER 1,400 LAUD PURCHASES IN FORTY TOWNS [Pee United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, August 9. Since the inception of the Government housing scheme last year tenders' have been called for the erection of more than. 1,400 houses, according to a statement by Mr J. A. Lee, who is visiting Auckland. “ In the majority of cases tenders have been let, or actual building operations are proceeding. Schemes are also rapidly being developed to serve other districts. Building is either under way or operations are about to start at Lower Hutt, Miramar, and Johnsonville in Wellington; at Orakei and Otahuhu in Auckland; and also in Christchurch, Dunedin, Invercargill, Oamaru, Thames, Whakatane, New Plymouth, Masterton, Wanganui, Palmerston North, and Westport. “ Tenders are being called for houses on the Casey estate at Auckland, and for schemes at Whangarei, Tauranga, Napier, Hastings, Levin, Patea, Hawera, Timaru, also additional schemes at Christchurch and Dunedin. “ Other towns are also receiving attention, hut owing to the difficulty of negotiating 'satisfactory purchases of land the schemes Are slower in starting. “ Altogether land for housing has been purchased in 40 different towns.” Answering the criticism that the rents are too high for workers, Mr Lee said; “ I should like to know where the toiler can get houses at a figure even comparable to ours. The rents of the Orakei houses will he 10s or 15s a week cheaper than would be paid for a similar type of house. There has been a substantial Braving on land purchased for housing purposes by the previous Government. In many cases this saving amounts to about 40 or 50 per cent.” Ho added that there were occasional complaints in the matter of contracting that the housing scheme was a oneman show. Actually there were at least 30 different contractors at work on the various schemes.