Those on Very Low Incomes

Te Ao Hou, May 1957, Page 48

Those on Very Low Incomes One of these comprises Maoris on very low income—usually Social Security beneficiaries, often with large families to support. These people can not cope with home ownership on our usual terms; but their need is as great as—often greater than—the need of those who can. For them we finance and build specially economical houses to meet in a simple way their family requirements. We take from them a reasonable proportion of their income to cover all their housing outgoings; we look after rates, insurance and maintenance, and apply the rest of the money to our loan. There is usually not enough left to meet all our interests and principal, so the loan banks up. By the time the family no longer need the house the debt may be pretty heavy, and we may have to write off some, but the important thing is that the family has undisturbed use and ownership of the house while it is needed. Please do not misunderstand the term I have just used, in dealing with our lower income group when I mentioned specially economical houses. By this I mean houses so planned and designed to get all the facilities of a good home for the size of the family, at the lowest cost. I most certainly do not mean any lowering of the standards of workmanship or amenities—that is a thing we will not put up with.