RUSH OF APPLICANTS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19340, 2 June 1937, Page 2

RUSH OF APPLICANTS

NEW GOVERNMENT HOUSES TENANTS BY BALLOT REMOVAL OF RESTRICTIONS (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, last night. The Government’s decision to close the lists of applicants for houses being erected at Miramar and Lower Hutfc on June 8, was announced by tho Under-Secretary to the Minister of Finance, -Mr. J. A. Lee. Mr. Lee said that hundreds of applications already had 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 inevitable that many 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 Stale house let to a tenant would ease the present shortage of houses. Steps already had been taken by the State Advances Corporation 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 sticcessiul applicants would then be notified and the bouses ns thev were delivered from time to time bv the contractors, would he made available for the tenancies. Dealing with Defaulters 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 flic existing law. The Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, before bis departure for England, had agreed to give Parliament the opportunity of considering the removal of certain salary restrictions on the eligibility of tenants for Stale houses imposed by tho present legislation, and placing on the Ministry of Finance the responsibility for the determining of the amount of rentals to lie charged for State houses erected subsequent to March 31, 1937. In addition, further statutory provisions would be sought from Parliament for tho purpose of facilitating the general administration of the houses now being erected by the housing construction branch and, more particularly, in those eases where the circumstances warranted it, for the making available of moneys payable to the tenant either by way of wages or otherwise, as a set-off against either current rent or any arrears of rent that accrued during the tenancy, for the simplification of the existing court procedure in cases of default by the occupier, and for securing possession of vacant premises. No person in receipt of an income and able to pay rent was going to be allowed to jeopardise the success of tho scheme. To-day, because of lack of the necessary machinery to deal witli I lie unsocial "defaulter, good tenants, who were in Ihe overwhelming majority, had to hear the losses accruing from such unsocial default. , Subject, to what had iieen said, the State Advances Corporation would eontinue in control of Stale houses, including the collection of rentals and the general management of the properties.