GREATER PART

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22513, 17 December 1947, Page 8

GREATER PART

PRIVATE BUILDING DOMINION HOUSING . 3625 OF 4892 TOTAL [(P.A.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 16. Private building is making a substantial contribution in reducing New Zealand’s housing shortage. In the six months ended on September 30, 4892 new dwellings were completed of which 2667 were in the North Island and 958 in the South Island. The State houses ' completed were 1367 ■ and private building contributed a total of 3625. While there has been a slight decrease in the number of private houses completed in the North Island, said the Under-Secretary for Housing, Mr. D. W. Coleman, today, this has been more than compensated for by the marked improvement in the South Island where a substantial increase .in building materials, particularly interior lining boards, has almost doubled the number of houses made available for occupation. Though there has been a slight decline in State housing, Mr. Coleman said, it was expected there would be a marked improvement in the remaining six months of the year, because there wgre definite indications that the supply of critical building materials, such as timber, roofing tiles and brioks, was steadily improving. Mr. Coleman added that it was expected that not less than 10,000 houses would be completed this year, which will constitute a record.