Homes For Elderly People: State Grants To Be Made

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 September 1950, Page 3

Homes For Elderly People: State Grants To Be Made

WELLINGTON, Sept. 29 (P.A.).— A general policy decision would be made in a day or two on the question of making grants for the construction of flats and small homes for elderly persons, said the Minister of Health (Mr J. T. Watts), speaking in the House of Representatives today on the Imprest Supply Bill No. 4. There were thousands of those persons, not only pensioners, living in small rooms and shanties, Mr Watts said. There was no place for* them in hosiptals, and the care of them.' constituted one of the major social problems of the day. The Health Department had been charged with the problem of dealing with the care of the aged, Mr Watts said. He had Cabinet approval for a system of assistance to voluntary organisations. The Government would give by way of subsidy or grant in approved cases up to 50 per cent, of the cost of building homes under the one roof for those people. The authorities had to be satisfied there was a need in the district concerned for such a place. In some places the problem was fairly well catered for.

Plans and specifications had to be submitted to the Health Department, the Minister said. He also had to be satisfied that there were funds available to the organisations concerned for the upkeep of the houses, which must also be open to departmental inspection. He also had to be satisfied that it was possible to provide the necessary staff. If single elderly persons could be got into such homes, where they would be under the care of religious and charitable organisations, then it would go a long way toward solving one aspect of the housing problem, Mr Watts said.

Mr T. H. McCombs (Opposition, Lyttelton) said there was also the problem of young persons coming into the cities to take employment. That was a real problem, and he thought it was equally as urgent as that of elderly persons. The two problems should go together.