HOUSES FOR PATEA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 251, 22 October 1937, Page 6

HOUSES FOR PATEA

GOVERNMENT CONTRACT RELIEF OF GRAVE STATE PATEA, Oct. 21. Advice that a contract had been let for the erection of 13 houses for the State Housing Department at Patea was received by Mr L. W. Austin, town clerk, yesterday. Mr Austin could give no information concerning the contractors yesterday. Tenders called some time ago met with no response at Patea and it is probable that the contract will be handled by one of the city construction companies. Eleven buildings are involved in the contract, two of which will each consist of two houses of the semi-de-tached type. Two houses will be erected on State-owned sections on the northern side of Essex Street and the remainder on the eight and a-quarter-acre area recently sold to the Government by the council for housing purposes. Of these, five houses will have a Beach Road frontage and the remainder on the southern side of Essex Street. It is anticipated that the houses will be built on the frontages near the domain gates and the •other frontages used contiguously as .the scheme develops and subsequently contracts let.

The housing shortage at Patea has been particularly acute and it was disclosed during the recent housing survey that four families were living in one four-roomed house. The number of people letting rooms and taking in boarders reached a surprising total. A number of men employed at Patea live at Hawera, making daily trips by train and car to their homes.