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101
SECTION D
Housing
It would be wrong for anyone to pretend that the housing
problem will be solved easily and quickly—it isn't that kind of
problem. But curiously enough the term "Housing Problem" has
different meanings for different people. To some it is the continued
existence of slums or the homeless in Part III accommodation—
to others, heavy mortgage costs or the exorbitant price of building
land. Again, to some it means lack of houses to rent and to
others the shortage of accommodation for the elderly.
It is patent that the problem is the sum total not only of
these points but also of a number of others not itemised, such as
finance, materials, building resources and skills, etc. In the final
analysis the problem, as a whole, cannot be dealt with on its own
but must be judged and afforded its right priority in the light of
the Country's economic position. One thing is sure and that is, if
emphasis is laid on one aspect of the problem then supporters of
other points of view will consider it unjustified.
Clearance of substandard dwellings still remains the main
method of providing housing in urban areas but if we are not to
be left a legacy of psychological problems in the future, this must
proceed with utmost prudence and humanity. It must be remembered
that slum clearance means the uprooting of families from
life-long environments and the destruction of well established and
successful communities and that these items are not necessarily
reproduced by modern dwellings in new areas. This aspect is
particularly noticeable with the rehousing of the elderly, for many
are provided with accommodation and amenities beyond their
dreams and yet some seem to wither in their new surroundings.
However, with regard to slum clearance, whatever the merits
or otherwise of any particular project, it is almost certain to be
affected by a labour shortage problem for the rate of slum clearance
is determined by the number of new dwellings a local authority
is able to provide. Available manpower resources in the building
trade are insufficient to rebuild our "twilight" areas in the near
future and there is no shadow of doubt that developing and redeveloping
all suitable sites is as much as the building industry
can cope with for the next decade at least. To forestall any slowing
down or hiatus in the provision of further housing accommodation
perhaps local authorities could, with advantage, review their
slum clearance schemes. Some properties may have been included
in schemes on the basis that renovation or conversion would have
only a limited life of say 20 years and, by today's standards, this