State To Build Temporary Homes For 200 Families

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 July 1950, Page 7

State To Build Temporary Homes For 200 Families

WELLINGTON, July 27 (P.A.).— To alleviate the worst of the housing problem throughout New Zealand, the Government has decided to build a number of temporary housing units. As a start, temporary housing b’oeks to accommodate about 50 families will be built in each of the foui main cities. Surveys are being made of the housing needs of provincial centres. Tentative sites are being investigated for the temporary housing block to be built in Christchurch. Land at Linwood and Spreydon is being considered. Details of this development of the Government’s housing policy were announced by the Minister in charge of housing Construction (Mr W. S. Goosman) today. He said that it was hoped to start construction within a few weeks in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. To determine the demand for temporary housing throughout the Dominion, the State Advances Corporation, together with civil allocation committees, is conducting a survey in all the main provincial centres. When it has the result of this survey, the Government will consider whether its temporary housing scheme should be extended beyond the main centres. The temporary housing scheme will be built in four-unit residential blocks. Each block will contain one single-bedroom unit, two two-bed-room units, and one three-bedroom unit.

Each unit will be completely selfcontained, except for a common laundry. Each unit will have its own living room, kitchen, and bathroom. Electric ranges' will be installed, but chip heaters will be used to provide hot water and heat. The units will be built on concrete foundation blocks. Pinus insignis will be used for framing, flooring, and weatherboards, and the walls will be lined. Aluminium roofs will be used. The intention of the Government in building these temporary units is to provide immediate relief for families who are obliged to live in tents, caravans, and rooms in which a number of families haye to share facilities. To reduce costs to the minimum and to save time, the general standard of accommodation, and class of materials to be used will be lower than that provided for State rental houses. The rentals will be fixed by the State Advances Corporation.