NEW HOUSING CENTRE

Taranaki Daily News, 23 March 1935, Page 7

NEW HOUSING CENTRE

CO-ORDINATING BRITISH ACTIVITY. WORK FOR ABOLITION OF SLUMS. (British Official Wireless). Rec. 5.5 p.m. Rugby, March 21. With the object of co-ordinating the activities of the various voluntary bodies which are working for the abolition of slums and the rehousing in modern and hygienic conditions of the poorest part of the population a new “housing centre” was opened at London yesterday by the Parliamentary Secretary, to the Ministry of Health, Mr. Geoffrey Shakespeare. Mr. Shakespeare paid a tribute to the part voluntary effort had played in the campaign against bad housing and pointed out that in the Bill now before Par-, liament the Government had provided for its population with housing authorities. The national Federation of Housing Associations was in course of formation with the help of and financial assistance from the Government, and it would be allied with the housing centre. The Government’s plans, Mr. Shakes*peare said, were the housing of slum tenants at the rate of 150,000 persons a year, compared with a total of 200,000 for the last 60 years. The rate was accelerating and they hoped that towards the end of the year the annual rate of rehousing would be nearer 250,000 persons/ A direct attack on the same scale against overcrowding in poorer houses was also being organised.