HOUSING IN BRITAIN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 281, 30 November 1935, Page 8

HOUSING IN BRITAIN

ABOLITION OF SLUMS WANGANUI MAN'S VIEWS An interesting commentary on the housing schemes in operation in all parts of England for the abolition of slum areas by the Government, building societies and private enterprise was given by Air. John Ash well, of Sr. John's Hill, who has just returned to Wanganui from a visit to England, during the course of an interview yesterday. Air. Ashwcll said that, building was booming in England on a greater scale than ever before and since the Great War over 2,600,000 new dwellings had been erected. Of this figure 1,80-0,000 dwellings were erected by private enterprise and 800.000 by local authorities. These dwellings were capable of housing 11,000,000 people, or more than the combined populations of Australia and New Zealand. Private enterprise had constructed 4,500,000 small dwellings vrith a rateable value of less than £35 a year in London and £26 in the country and in the year ended Alarch 31, 1935, had constructed 56,Q00 houses. The greater proportion of the dwellings were for leasing but in the eaily stages of the housing scheme maty homes were built for sale. The houses constructed by the local authorities v/ere comparatively small and were let or* weekly rt rtais. Air. Ashwell said that he had been informed by the manager of the Halifax Building y.jciety that his organisation was advancing approximately £1,C00,000 a mi i th for the erection of -.mall dwei.’Egs ranging in price from £490 upwa-ds. Surveys made by local authorities, he said, had reve t ed that at least 300,000 houses were in need of demolition and speedy replacement. Over 200,000 of these dwellings were located in slum areas and the remainder comprised individual dwellings which were unfit for habitation. Over 100,000 houses had been erected or were in the course of construction, to replace those already demolished and rehousing was being carried out at the rate of 150,000 dwellings a year.