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Houses for the Homeless

This group of eleven new houses was discovered by a young student during a Sunday afternoon walk at Ohiro Bay, six miles from Wellington. He reported his outraged feelings to the Editors. The houses are illustrated to show that bad planning and ugliness are as conducive to bad living conditions as any lack of sanitation could be.

The surprising fact is that though they are built as lowcost houses, they are neither of minimum area nor construction. Cost is about £1,300 per unit, a figure for which attractive houses of a high standard are being built today. Yet these houses by their shocking design and weak planning give the impression of a very poor standard. The scheme was financed by a Wellington City Council housing loan.

The environment the houses create has all the potentialities of slums without their one advantage—a feeling of community spirit and neighbourliness.

All in all it is obvious that the prospective owner who is forced to take up such a property by the housing shortage is getting far less than his money's worth in comfort and quality of design.

Is this the way we want our cities to grow?

Should not such schemes be designed by trained architects and designers?

And should the City Council have supported such a scheme?

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