HOUSES PURCHASED

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24085, 2 October 1941, Page 8

HOUSES PURCHASED

THE SLUM QUESTION (0.C.) CHRISTCHURCH, Wednesday Fifteen houses have been bought by the Government in Christchurch to provide housing for families formerly living in sub-normal conditions. This information was contained in a letter received by the Mayor, Mr. E. H. Andrews, from the acting-manager of the State Advances Corporation, Mr. D. S. Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton referred to the case of. a married man with eight children, oil whose behalf the Mayor made representations. and said that a house had been bought for the family and rented at 22s 6d. This family, said Mr. Hamilton. formerly lived in premises which were not fit for human beings. MrHamilton asked for the Mayor's cooperation in improving housing conditions in the city. It was a disquieting fact, he said, that, when families vacated bad premises for better . ones, the bad premises were often let again without any improvements being made. If the Mayor, through the city inspectors, could keep a watch on t i-* aspect of the situation, it should be possible to have sub-normal houses brought up to standard berore tli 1 were re-let.