THE HOUSING PROBLEM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18349, 15 March 1923, Page 6

THE HOUSING PROBLEM.

HOMES FOR WORKERS.

LEGISLATION FORESHADOWED.

[BY TELEGRAPH.-—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. Wednesday.

A lengthy discussion oil the housing problem was initiated by Dr. J. S. Elliott at a meeting of the Board of Health to-day. He declared there was'still a shortage of 20,000 houses throughout the Dominion.

The need for more houses within the means of the average worker was unanimously admitted, but there was a wide divergence of opinion as to the best methods of solving the problem. The Minister, the Hon. C. J. Parr, expressed the opinion that the solution was to be found in furnishing more liberal advances on a better basis of valuation to enable individual workers to build their own homes. He was in a position to say that, as already foreshadowed by the Prime Minister, legislation- in this direcI tion would probably be introduced early next session, greatly increasing, the maximum amount of advances and offering more favourable terms of repayment. A resolution was carried urging the Government (1) to increase and improve the facilities.. under which individual workers can' build and acquire their own homes; (2) to remove rent restrictions wherever they tend to hamper and prejudice private enterprise; (3) to encourage housing by advances to building associations and private builders. '.