LOW PRIORITY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26781, 26 May 1948, Page 6

LOW PRIORITY

HOME SERVICEMEN APPLICATION FOR HOUSES The difficulties facing homeservicemen in obtaining State houses were discussed at the annual meeting of the Dunedin branch of th<? Otago Homeservicemen’s Association last night. The Dunedin Rehabilitation Department had given the association every assistance, said Mr A. Torrance. At present the department was allocated 50 per cent, of the State homes built, but the needs of returned servicemen were the first consideration. In deserving cases the department had been able to place homeservicemen on a higher priority list. Mr E. J. Keith said he had waited two years for a State house. If some of the buildings at present' going up in Dunedin were left, and concentration was made on the building of more homes, the people would be better oil, Mr Keith said. Mr Torrance explained that last year 71 houses were allocated to persons on the No. 1 priority list, whereas applications totalled somewhere over the 350 mark. With no more applications, it was going to take five years to satisfy these people. In Dunedin last year the trade training scheme turned out more houses than the building contractors. A member said that last year the Housing Department had set as its objective the building of 12,000, but this mark was exceeded by approximately 700. At the present rate of progress it would take not five years, but ten, to build sufficient houses. This year the department hoped to build approximately 20.000 houses, but' the shortage of materials would be a deciding factor. No doubt the supply position was acute, and there was a tremendous amount of wasted labour, said Mr S. B. Butler, but the problem was constantly under review.