COUNCIL BUYS HUTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23261, 24 July 1945, Page 4

COUNCIL BUYS HUTS

Erection As Houses Rehabilitation Offer Acting on a motion passed by the timaru Borough Council last week, tlie Town Clerk. Borough Engineer and Borough Architect, have purchased from the Bar Assets Realisation Board six Army huts with a view to dismantling and re-erection as dwelling houses. They personally selected the huts, together with all baths and plumbing fittings that were available. It is emphasised that the impression that the houses will be built in the torm of enlarged Army Huts is entirely erroneous, as the six already purchased will be completely dismantled and rebuilt. as the timber provided in these huts is the best available for building in the Dominion to-day. Whereas other centres are tackling the shortage of housing by erecting temporary dwellings for the public, such as the huts in the Auckland Domain. Timaru is believed to be one of the first boroughs in the Dominion to go ahead on its own accord and develop satisfactory and fairly permanent residences at a cheap rate within the range of everyone's pocket. The cost of a house will be about £5OO and the rental, if let. approximately 15 - a week. It is hoped that a great number will be built on Council land within the borough, all the building being done under the supervision of the Borough Architect. Instead of the present rate of building, one house in six months, it may be possible to complete one house in'a month with a gang of four or five men under an experienced foreman. A drawback to the building scheme is the fact that the roofing material of double nialthold will not last more than five years, but it is presumed that within that period large quantities of galvanised iron should be available for the roofing of dwelling houses. Available to Returned Men Preference will be given to returned men. and the Rehabilitation Department in a letter to the Borough Council congratulated it on its progressive housing policy and. further, offered to finance any returned soldier who wished to buy one of the proposed houses outright. Any man who has been 12 months or more overseas is eligible for a housing loan. Tire Department suggested that 50 per cent of the houses built be made available for returned soldiers. At present, according to the Rehabilitation Officer (Mr A. N. Campbell', within the Borough of Timaru, returned men requiring State houses could be classed as follows:—38 as very urgent. 15 urgent, seven not so urgent, and 17 as having no Immediate housing problem requiring the attention of the Department.