5000 NEW DWELLINGS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19884, 10 March 1939, Page 7

5000 NEW DWELLINGS

PROGRESS OF SCHEME \ ANOTHER 2500 IN VIEW The foundations of the five thousandth house in the Government’s housing scheme have been laid. “This means,” said the Minister of Housing, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, “that if all the .new dwellings had been concentrated in an area instead of being distributed throughout over 80 towns, the Department of Housing Construction could have claimed the record of making contractual arrangements within two years for building a complete residential town like Palmerston North or Invercargill.

“Already the department has finished the erection of as many houses as there are in the cathedral city of Nelson, which has a population of more than 11.000.”

The Minister said the department’s record was very creditable. “It is less than two years since the first contract was let,” he added, “and the foundations of the five thousandth house 'have been laid. It is expected that by the time it is completed_ the erection of an additional 2500 will be begun. Close on 5800 workers are directly employed in. housing construction. The only obstacle to progress just now is the lack of skilled tradesmen.” The Minister announced that the Government had completed further purchases of land in different parts ol the Dominion. The total area will provide for the construction of an additional 61 houses. The localities include an area at Devonport to accommodate five units, also land for four houses at Mount Roskill, two at Mount Eden. 14 at Remuera and two at Takapuna. Areas at Opotiki to accommodate 12 houses have also been acquired.