ALL-TIME HOUSING RECORD

Evening Star, Issue 26102, 16 May 1947, Page 7

ALL-TIME HOUSING RECORD

9,463 BUILT IN YEAR (P.A.) WELLINGTON, May 15. A record total of 0,4(58 houses were, built for both the State and private owners in the year ended March 31,' said the Minister of Works, Mr Semple, to-day. It was a remarkable achievement in the face of post-war supply and transport difficulties. Mr Semple said the concentration of supplies and efforts on the building of homes could be judged front the fact that last year 74.3 per cent, of the amount spent on construction activity went into houses. This proportion had. not been approached in past yea's ‘ “Housing remains No. 1 construction priority in the Dominion,” the Minister added. “ The Government is in constant consultation with its departmental officers and private interests concerned, so that the rate of building bouses can be maintained at the maximum intensity. We regard the achievement of the records in the number of houses built in each of the, two post-war years as an encouragement to further efforts. “ There are no annual statistics of building approaching those of the last' two years,” Mr Semple said. “ Theb,ooo houses built in 1945-40 and the 9,463 built in 194(5-47 are undoubtedly records. The nearest approach to them was in 1938-39, when building permits issued for all the districts covered amounted to 8,093.” Mr Semple said it was interesting to note that in the last 12 years 70,9(53 permits for the building of houses had been issued, whereas in the previous 12 years the permits issued totalled 54,793. The Dominion had maintained an average of 4,763 permits during the war years. In the depression years permits averaged 2,411 yearly. Of the houses built last year, 2.595 were built for the Housing Construction Department. Builders working on private contracts built 6.868 houses. Except for those constructed by returned sorvicemchi who were being trained in building trades under the Rehabilitation Department, the State houses were built by private contractors. Mr Semple said 23,321 houses had been built under the State housing scheme since its commencement in 1938.