HEALTHIER DWELLINGS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19904, 25 September 1926, Page 13

HEALTHIER DWELLINGS

LEGISLATIVE POWERS. THE QUESTION OF FINANCE. CONSTRUCTION CAMPAIGN OUTLINED. By D. P. H. In previous articles it has been stated that there exists in Dunedin a large number of unhealthy houses which are re-

sponsible for the causation of much preventable disease. The minimum standards of housing which should be our objectives have been suggested, and also an education campaign for teaching the children, outlined. It is not sufficient, however, to draw attention to facts which are perfectly obvious to all citizens of goodwill who have paused to consider the situation. It is of paramount importance not only to propose these minimum standards, but to secure them, and to do this it is essential that a campaign should be launched against these strongholds of disease. LEGISLATIVE POWERS. Before much progress can be made, the necessary legal powers for dealing with unhealthy and insanitary areas must be obtained. Not that this alone will solve the problem, for at best it gives us only negative power, unless there is a real desire on the part of the public for a forward move. ACTS IN FORCE. The existing powers by which the Department of Health or the City Council can remove unhealthy areas and the houses in them are to be found in “ The Health Act, 1920,” and the Municipal Corporations Act. These powers are, .unfortunately, inadequate to cope with the situation. Additional powers are essential, a fact which was recognised by the Municipal Conference held in 1923, when a remit was forwarded to the Government asking

that the provisions of section 298 of “The Municipal Corporations Act, 1920,” which deals with the improvement of insanitary areas within a borough, should be considerably expanded. It was urged, for example, that the certificate of a medical officer of health should be conclusive on the subject of the state of any area which it was considered had become in an overcrowded, insanitary, or degraded condition. Further, it was considered that a definite method of assessing compensation by a local authority should be incorporated in this section of the Act, which recommends that, on the compulsory destruction of an unhealthy area, the necessary assessment should follow closely the lines followed by the Public Health Act of England in analagous cases. ASSESSMENT OF This method of assessment may be summarised as follows: — 1. For dwellings or other buildings that are unfit for human habitation, and cannot reasonably be made fit, compensation to the value of the land and of the building materials. 2, For houses in such condition as to constitute nuisances under section 26 of “ The Health Act, 1920,” or in a state

of defective sanitation, or in bad repair, compensation to be the value of the property with the nuisance removed, and nil the other defects remedied, “less the estimated expense of removing or remedying these.” 3. Compensation to be paid for the land included in any improvement scheme and compulsorily acquired to be commensurate with the use that it is proposed by the local authority to make of such land, in the provision of dwellings for the working classes only, provided that, in the lay-out of the scheme, reasonable provision only has been made for streets, frontages, etc., in consonance with the city by-laws. In other words, in assessing the compensation, no account is to be taken of the value of such land for purposes other than the provision of dwellings for the working classes, provided that the local authority uses such land exclusively for the erection of dwellings or for open spaces such as parks and play areas. At the recent elections the Reform Party made the removal of slum areas a prominent plank in its platform, and one naturally looked for any subsequent legislation dealing with the problem to embody what was the unanimous opinion of all municipalities. The Town-planniim Act which was brought down by the Government in the last session of Parliament, while embodying many essential and long-overdue provisions witlj regard to the securing of more healthy conditions in our towns, ignores altogether this important factor of compensation. When the necessary legal authority is provided the City Council, on the receipt of a certificate from the Minister of H&lth that within a certain area certain houses, courts, or alleys are dangerous or injurious to the health of the community through want of light, ventilation and proper sanitary conveniences, the council could immediately undertake an improvement scheme. This scheme could include any number of areas, and also provide for other matters such as the closing or deviation of highways which would improve the area or enhance the efficiency of the scheme. When an improvement proposal is drawn up the corporation could advertise it in the daily papers for three consecutive weeks. The advertisement would advise where the plans could be seen, and the location of (he area. These plans could be studied and notices could then be served on the owners and occupiers of the property. Upon the foregoing requirements being fulfilled, the local authority could make application under the Public Works Act for

the compulsory acquisition of fho lands and properties, and embark on the scheme as soon as practicable. FINANCE. Assuming that the local authorities are given the legal powers necessary for the eradication of slum areas in their cities, the problem will still be unsolved unless there are brought into action such positive force as public enthusiasm and satisfactory financial arrangements. In considering this all-important question of finance, we must divide the people for whom the scheme was primarily intended into two main classes. First, there are those who can pay interest on the capital invested, provided that there is concerted action on the part of the local authorities, architects, aud the trades, unions so that costs are kept at the lowest possible figure. On the other hand there are the people, who, in account of poverty, sickness, or other reasons would be unable to pay the minimum rental of new houses built under even the best of co-operative conditions. In providing these minimum requirements for health to this small percentage of people, many of whom are already being supported to a greater or lesser extent by the Charit able Aid Board there is no escaping the fact that some subsidy will be necessary. The necessity for subsidising such people ha,s bemn recognised in Great Britain since 1919, and it has been agreed by people of nil po.itical views that some such assistance is necessary, and should he rendered proportionate! v by the central and the local authorities This qucstioi. of subsidy must be faced. If it is not paid directly it is paid indirectly, and surely our statesmen and business men could devise a solution of fliis problem. If the difference between tho actual rental and the rental which the tenant could pay were divided between the Treasury and the corporation concerned, and if the Hospit-.l and Charitable Aid Board could assist in inquiring into the eligibility of tenants who, on account of sickness or poverty, wore entitled to occupy the subsidised houses, this would go far towards securing a minimum standard of housing for all. In tire construction of those subsidised houses builders and timber merchants might reasonably he requested to give all possible concessions and to speed up the work of construction. United effort, which 'was responsible for the building and the success of tho recent Exhibition, and which iii a. greater degree helped the country in its time of stress during the Great War, would surely ,-tisnrc the raising of the initial capital required. To return to the simpler problem of providing a housing scheme for those who could pay interest, it might bo of interest to note that Auckland City Council commenced in 1923 to initiate a comprehensive housing scheme, and in 12 months erected 50 workmen’s dwellings. The council arranged with the Government State Advances Department for a loan of £40,000 at 44 per cent., that department being authorised to Tend monej to local authorities for bousing purposes by statute and without, a poll of ratepayers. The loan was lifted in amounts as required, and the final amount of £20,000 was lifted in 1925.