STATE HOUSING

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 198, 23 July 1941, Page 6

STATE HOUSING

11,584 COMPLETED. £16,252,000 SPENT. (Press Assn) WELLINGTON, Juiy 23. ■Speaking in the course of the Budget debate, last evening, the Minister lor Mousing (Mr Armstrong) reviewed the activities of the State Housing Department. Houses totalling 11.584 had been I completed and were occupied under | the Government's housing policy, he said. If the number of bouses at present under construction were added, the total was 14.203, but there were still 21,207 people on the waiting list. The Minister said that steps had been taken to provide accommodation tor largo families in Christchurch and other parts of New'Zealand, and the Goverinn'ent had recently decided to set up a committee to go into this: question. The Minister said the Government’s! housing scheme claimed the attention and admiration of most civilised cotui-i ! tries in the world. The Leader of the 1 Opposition bad made a dangerous statement when he said lie would sell State rental houses. In the light of past experience that- would spell disaster to thousands of the most needy people in New Zealand at the present! time. Continuing, Mr Armstrong said the I Housing Construction Department bad employed altogether 326 ’different contractors. and to-day houses were being built in 129 different towns. Land for! housing had l>een bought in 131 towns; and enough land had been purchased io build 23.000 houses. The department was still having land. I A total of £16.252.000, said the \ Minister, had l>een spent by the Housing Department, a good percentage of it on the purchase of land. , Mr Armstrong also referred to the j reduction in the amount of Jaliour available for housing. Eighteen months j nao. he said, tliev had 6000 men cm-1 ployed, but this figure had dropped to i 4200 owing to the number of men who ! had enlisted and were now on active service. The Minister also outlined the Government's policy with regard to building flats and dwellings to accommodate tin l larger families.