THE HOUSING PROBLEM

Otago Witness, Issue 3488, 18 January 1921, Page 20

THE HOUSING PROBLEM

EMPTY DWELLINGS IN AUCKLAND. (From Our Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, January 13. “ I calculate,” remarked a land agent today, “ that at present there are between two and three hundred empty houses in Auckland.” When asked why they were not let, when so many people wanted dwellings, ho explained that the reason was that these particular properties are kept tenantless to enable immediate possession to be given to a purchaser. This is one of the unexpected developments of the housing legislation. In order to protect tenants special war legislation was passed, and the result has been to convince owners that if they wish to sell a property the only way to ensure possession being given is to keep it empty. Naturally this is to bo regretted at a time when houses are so scarce, but experience in court has convinced owners of tenements that it is next to impossible to get an order for possession made against a woman with small children. The magistrates naturally refuse to make any order to’turn women with small children on to the street, and just as naturally the owners anxious to sell a house prefer to keep it empty even though it entails loss of rent. The fact that money on mortgage is now not so easily obtained is also calculated to cheek people from buying sections and building houses for their own occupation. Under the present circumstances, when labour and building material are so dear, it is not likely that many dwellings will be erected for letting purposes, and therefore the scarcity of houses seems likely to continue.