HOUSING IN THE CAMBRIDGE DISTRICT

Waikato Independent, Volume XLIV, Issue 6105, 22 September 1947, Page 4

HOUSING IN THE CAMBRIDGE DISTRICT

THE EDITOR'S COMMENT,

We are pleased to observe that the Borough Council, strongly supported by theh Chamber of Commerce and R.S.A, is not just content to accept assurance from the Minister of Works, that in the allocation of State houses, Cambridge is not being overlooked. It is not suggested for one moment that the Minister is not sincere in the statement made to the council; but such is the terrific demand for houses that the job of allocation for all parts of the country' is no sinecure. For a time it did look as though j Cambridge was being overlooked and, I therefore, it . was satisfactory news to the council, and to the chamber, that in addition to the six that are in the course of. erection, a contract had been let for another batch of six houses. Mr S. Lewis was not far wrong when he remarked' that "six houses are only a drop in the ocean." For this reason we commend the council for not just receiving the letter with thanks; but in deciding to stress the urgency of at least another twelve houses to be erected' next year. In this request the council is modest.

The hoiisinp: shortage is a great problem—perhaps the most serious in the country. By no means are we belittling the efforts of the Minister and his Housing Department, or the Minister of Rehabilitation and his honorary allocation committees. Only just recently the Hon. C. F. Skinner expressed the opinion that if the present rate of housing construction could be maintained it might be possible to house all urgent cases within two years. He based his opinion apparently on the fact that since the prior meeting of the Rehabilitation Council in Wellington, the number of State rental houses allocated to exservicemen had, for the first time, considerably exceeded the.number of applications received during the period between the two meetings of the council.

In the particular statment made by the Minister of Rehabilitation he did mention that the housing construction Department was making some building sections available and thse were being allocated to exvservicemen. The Minister did pay tribute to the difficult task of ,the housing allocation committees, the members of which were doing a voluntary task and one that was rather thankless. No, we do not intend to criticise

the departments concerned for the whole housing problem is a tremendous one. However, when the Minister of Rehabilitation was expressing the hope to catch up with all urgent cases within twq years,. he was, ap - parently,. referring only to the needs of exservicemen personnel; but the whole problem is a task that will not be solved for many years. The departments concerned must be encouraged in every possible way. They must be urged to explore every avenue of providing materials and where economic substitutes might be utilised in lieu of wood, then' every practical step should be taken to exploit such materials. Meanwhile the local borough council, chamber of commerce, The Leamington Town Board, and other directly interested bodies, have a duty to the citizens of Cambridge and that is to make sure that the Housing Department is made fully aware of the shortage in this district. It is satisfactory then that this particular responsibilty is being recognised.