View report page

29
siderably. The class of house to which I now refer is not the converted
house with self-contained tenements, but ordinary dwellings
where rooms are sub-let by the principal tenant to other families.
Many of these families regard their accommodation as only temporary
and are waiting and anxious to obtain suitable houses.
2. (b) Measures Taken to Meet Shortage.—During the War
building was practically at a standstill. From the year 1916 to 1919
inclusive only four houses were erected. The subjoined table gives
the new houses erected from the year 1920 to 1925: —
Year. Number of houses erected.
1920 8
1921 133
1922 92
1923 56
1924 205
1925 294
The District Council were the first to commence building, and
during the last three years building by private enterprise has been
steadily increasing. The Council acquired two estates, one at
Elmers End and one at Shortlands. On the former 196 houses were
erected and completed by the end of the year 1922. The Scheme for
developing the Shortlands site has been held up for various reasons,
chiefly the restriction imposed by the Ministry of Health. This
has now been removed, and the Council propose to erect 60 houses
on this estate immediately.
During the years 1924 and 1925 100 houses were erected by
various builders with the assistance of grants made under the
Housing Acts.
3. Changes in Population.—No change has taken place in the
general character of the population of the District, but there are
indications that parts of the District are rapidly losing their semirural
appearance. The land that is still unbuilt upon is being
plotted out for building purposes, and there will probably be a
considerable increase in the population during the next few years.