STATE HOUSES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23206, 2 June 1937, Page 10

STATE HOUSES

A RUSH OF APPLICANTS ALLOCATION BY BALLOT MEASURES TO SECURE RENTALS (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 1. The Government’s decision to close the lists of applicants for houses being erected at Miramar and Lower Hutt on June 8 was announced to-day by the Under-secre-tary to the Minister of Finance, Mr J. A. Lee.

Mr Lee said that hundreds of applications had already been received: in fact, from the present lists the houses could be filled more than five times over, and applications were pouring in daily. In those circumstances, no good purpose could be served by delaying the closing date, and all applications not posted by June 8 would be deferred for consideration at a later date. It was enevitable that many of the applicants would not be successful, and he was concerned about finding a method of allocation which would be both satisfactory and equitable. At the same time, it was realised that each State house let to a tenant would ease the present shortage of houses. BALLOT TO BE HELD Steps had already been taken by the State Advances Corporation, Mr Lee said, to interview applicants and make certain inquiries, and as soon as that action was completed it was proposed to conduct a ballot for the houses. The successful applicants would then be notified and the houses as they were delivered from time to time by the contractors would be made available for tenancies. It was pointed out by Mr Lee that, although the Housing Act was now administered by the State Advances Corporation, it was proposed to make certain amendments in the existing law. The Prime Minister (Mr Savage), before his departure, had agreed to give Parliament an opportunity of considering the removal of certain salary restrictions on the eligibility of tenants for State houses imposed by the present legislation and placing on the Minister of Finance the responsibility for determining the amount of the rentals to be charged for State houses erected subsequent to Marcn 31, 1937. STEPS TO SECURE RENT In addition, further statutory provisions would be sought from Parliament for the purpose of facilitating the general administration of the houses now being erected by the Housing Construction branch, and, more particularly in those cases where circumstances warranted it. for the making available of moneys payable to a tenant either by way of wages or otherwise as a set-off against either the current rent or any arrears of rent that accrued during tenancy for the simplification of the existing court procedure in cases of default by an occupier and for securing vacant possession of the premises.

No person in receipt of an income and able to pay rent was going to be allowed to jeopardise the success of the scheme to-day, Mr Lee added, because of a lack of the necessary machinery to deal with the unsocial defaulter. Good tenants, who were in an overwhelming majority, had to bear the losses accruing from such unsocial default. Subject to what had been said, the State Advances Corporation would continue in control of the State houses, including the collection of rentals and the general management of the properties.