THE HOUSING PROBLEM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26113, 28 March 1946, Page 6

THE HOUSING PROBLEM

The Dunedin Returned Servicemen’s Association has performed a useful public service in securing the preparation of a report on the actual facts of the housing problem as it affects former members of the forces in the city. While it was common knowledge that there were probably some hundreds of families in need of suitable accommodation, and while there has been much discussion of plans for meeting these requirements, there has hitherto been no definite information on the situation upon which action may be based. It is sufficiently disturbing now to learn that over 400 questionnaires were filled in at the bureau of inquiry which has been established, but it may be assumed that this response has been only from those, exclusively ex-service-men, who have become most acutely aware of their difficulties. The real position is likely, therefore, to be much more serious. It is satisfying to know that, as the result of recent agitation, the Tomahawk Military Camp has been made available "or use as a transit camp. It is stated that this will provide for some 20 families. That provision will, however, not meet the needs of even the most necessitous cases. The decision of the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, not to proceed with the application for the use of Onslow House, in conjunction with Tahuna Park, would appear to have been too lightly arrived at, unless there are objections which, apart from the fact that the building is in a state of disrepair, the Minister has not seen fit to disclose at this stage. Th _ R.S.A. has wisely turned its attention to the housing problem as it affects ex-servicemen since this must be one of the chief factors in their rehabilitation. Families which have been divided for years by war are still separated because there is no accommodation that would enable them to be reunited. In some cases owners cannot obtain possession of houses which were rented whil; they were overseas, and in other cases health reasons make it imperative that better housing should be acquired. There are also cases of single men whose marriages were delayed by the war and must still be postponed until premises can be obtained in which they may enter upon married life. These are serious aspects of the problem which merit every consideration. It is natural in the circumstances that attention should be turned to the number of unoccupied and semioccupied dwellings throughout the country, but here the rights of private property produce inevitable difficulties. Mr Nash has stated that it might be necessary to take legislative action to make available unoccupied houses. There must be a large number of houses

which are only partly tenanted and some of these could undoubtedly be subdivided to provide accommodation for at least one other family, but in such cases there exist many causes from which friction might arise and it may well be that upon actual examination it would be found that very little relief could be derived from this source. It should certainly, however, be worthy of consideration, whether some of the restrictive clauses of the Fair Rents Act might not be amended.- The whole position is such that every possibility of effecting an amelioration of it should be investigated. The R.S.A. appears to be approaching the task from the best angle.