GREAT HOUSING PROGRAMME

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22486, 22 January 1943, Page 4

GREAT HOUSING PROGRAMME

Erection Of 16,000 Homes PART OF REHABILITATION SCHEME CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 21. A great housing programme aiming ultimately at erecting 16,000 homes a year would form part of the Government’s rehabilitation plans for returned men, the Minister of Supply and Munitions (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) told the audience at the opening of the campaign of the Labour candidate in the Christchurch East by-election (Miss Mabel Howard) last evening. Of these houses 12,000 would be State homes and 4000 would be built by private builders. One part of the rehabilitation plan would be probably the greatest enterprise ever conceived in New Zealand, the development of a great housing programme for the purpose of providing the soldiers with homes, and with employment, said the Minister. The great plan was being considered and worked out in minute detail.

The enterprise would mean the development of training schools for the returned soldiers and for youths leaving schools; it would also mean the expansion and development of existing factories for the production of the material required, and probably the erection of new factories. The scheme would also stimulate activity in a large number of industries, including the furniture industry, and would inspire the people to “ginger up” the economic system, and provide employment to a greater degree than could be done by any other scheme it would be possible to develop.

The Minister added that the plan was already being worked upon and was receiving the attention of the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, the new Minister of Housing, the Hon. R. Semple, and the Director of Defence Construction, Mr J. Fletcher. To a large extent the plans had already been determined.