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(b) Old Rental Houses. —Those comprise bouses erected prior to 1935 and those purchased since, mainly for large family housing purposes. The Corporation now has 1,357 of these houses let to tenants and administered in the same way as the new State rental units. As opportunity offers the Corporation is continuing to acquire properties of this type to meet particular requirements. Close co-operation has been maintained with the Housing Bureau attached to the Public Service Commission's Office. The Bureau has a difficult task in endeavouring to assist public servants transferred in the course of their duties, but has met with a fair measure of success in arranging suitable exchanges. In addition, the Corporation has been able to assist by the provision of finance to enable officers to purchase properties suited to their particular needs. {<■) Transit Housing.—The operation of the Transit Housing scheme is now too well known to require elaboration. It has been the means of easing the housing problems of a very large number of people, and has thus served a very useful purpose. The transit ■camps are controlled and administered by the various local authorities concerned, and the need for them is still as acute as ever. They cannot be considered in any way as substitutes for permanent housing, but have a definite and very valuable part, to play as an adjunct to the main housing scheme. Every endeavour is made to allot State houses to the occupants within a reasonable period, but this is naturally dependent on the rate of delivery of completed housing units. It naturally follows that the main concern must be the erection of permanent homes. (d) Allocation of State Houses to Ex-servicemen.—There has been no change in the policy whereby a minimum of 50 per cent, of all houses available for letting are allocated to eligible ex-servicemen selected by the Rehabilitation Committees. Future Requirements It is practically impossible to give any reliable estimate" of the actual number of units necessary to overtake the Dominion's housing shortage. In past reports it has been stated that an additional 25,000 provided over a short period would, in a large measure," at least relieve the pressure caused by those families living under definite sub-standard conditions. At this date we see no reason to reduce that estimate. Loans to Local Authorities for Housing Schemes The Corporation has continued to make funds available from the Housing Account to those urban local authorities seeking loans to finance their own housing projects. Loans for this purpose bear interest at 3 per cent., repayment terms are reasonable, and the scheme affords an opportunity for local bodies to take an active part in helping to solve local housing difficulties. Housing for Timber Workers There has been a considerable increase in activity under this scheme which was introduced by Part 111 of the Finance Act (No. 2) 1946, and there is no doubt that it has been of material assistance in increasing the supplies of timber so urgently required by all sections of the community. It has as its object the provision of housing accommodation for sawlnill and timber-workers in areas adjacent to the scene of milling operations. The scheme is being financed by a levy of 6d. per 100 ft. of sawn timber, and by the payment by the sawmillers to whom houses "are supplied of a rental of 15s. or 17s! 6d. per week, according to the size of the house. These payments are credited to a Timber Pool Account out of which all expenses of the scheme are met. The mill-owners are responsible for maintenance and insurance of the houses, and after payment of rental for twenty years the houses become their property. The timber industry itself is financing the entire venture,

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