Annual Report Housing Commission

1964-65 VICTORIA TWENTY-SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE HOUSING COMMISSION VICTORIA FOR THE PERIOD 1st July, 1963, to 30th June, 1964 TOGETHER WITH APPENDICES PRESENTED TO BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT PURSUANT TO THE HOUSING ACTS By Authority' A. C. BROOKS, GOVERNMENT PRINTER, MELBOURNE. No. 26.-PRICE 3s. 6D.-2309/65. CONTENTS GENERAL COMMENTS PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION: Land Acquired for General Housing 5 Land Acquired for Slum Reclamation 5 Land Acquired for Housing Elderly People 5 Site Engineering 6 Housing Estates 7 Reclamation Areas .. 9 Low Rental Units for Elderly Persons 10 Construction .. 10 Concrete House Project 11 ESTATE AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT: Tenancies 12 Housing Standards Branch .. 13 Maintenance .. 13 Estate Management .. 13 Industrial Land 13 House Sales .. 13 Sale of Residential Land 14 Shops and Shop Sites 14 FINANCE 15 STAFF 18 TABLES: "A" Summary of Completions of Dwellings 20 "B" Dwelling Unit Construction . 20 "C" Types of Dwelling Units completed during the year ended 30th June, 1964 25 "D" Location of Flats 25 "E" Block Types of Flats . 27 "F" Bedroom Type of Flats 28 "G" Construction Types of Flats . 28 "H" Sheathings of Timber Framed Dwellings (other than Brick Veneer) 29 "1" Concrete House Project 30 "J" Concrete Flats, Lone Persons and Low Rental 31 APPENDICES 32 TWENTY -SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT OF HOUSING COMMISSION VICTORIA 1963-64 179 Queen Street, MELBOURNE, C.l GENERAL COMMENTS The Hon. L. H. S. Thompson, M.L.C.. nominal deposits. Many of the applicants for Minister of Housing. Commission homes cannot provide the minimum deposit of £100, although they would prefer to purchase. lt is this group in the community Sir. together with the increasing numbers of elderly In compliance with the provisions of the Housing persons, widows, deserted wives and the like who Act, the Housing Commission submits this report must continue to look to the Commission for the of its activities together with financial statements only possible solution to their housing problem. incorporating the certificate of the Auditor-General for the year ended 30th June. 1964. During the year, 2,324 houses and flats were completed bringing the total completions to the The continued demand for Commission accom 30th June, 1964, to 51,329. Although this total modation was evidenced by the receipt of 8,422 was some 300 units greater than last year it should applications during the year. At the end of the have been higher. Completions were affected by year, after a review of all applications held, there the slower rate of progress of contract builders, remained 10.718 unsatisfied applications. Waiting particularly in the country, and the increase of periods are still extensive more than 3 years for high rise building with its longer construction time. the purchase of a house in the metropolitan area, This has resulted in a large increase in the number 18-24 months for tenancy of a flat in the metropo of units under construction 2,478 houses and litan area, and 12-18 months for either tenancy flats and 7 shops, valued at £8.347,520. It is or purchase in the major country estates. expected that this level will have to be maintained, because of prevailing conditions in the industry, and with the further move into high rise building. This demand has continued despite improve This year has seen the end of the construction of ment in the availability of finance to build privately. four-storey walk-up flats in the redevelopment of Finance for housing has become more freely reclamation areas. Current redevelopment is by available, the loan limits have been raised and some 12 and 20 storey elevator blocks, with central second mortgage finance has been made available heating and hot water supply. Construction is of at reasonable rates of interest. All these improve prefabricated concrete components produced and ments will not assist the low income earner with erected by the Concrete House Project. It is antici a number of young children, who has not been pated that the Commission will have 7 high rise able to save a deposit above £100. For the same blocks in various stages of construction during reason, the £250 subsidy from the Commonwealth next financial year. £11,745,597 was spent on new Government, contingent upon the applicant having construction for the year. saved £750, will not assist this class of applicant. It will assist the young married couple without The General Revenue Account discloses a loss children, but the Commission has never been in a on rental operations of £166,085 compared with a position to offer housing to this category. loss of £205,145 last financial year. At the 30th June, 1964 there were 32,904 units under rental. Again, the proposed creation of a mortgage Early in the year the Government approved of a insurance scheme will not assist unless it produces modified scheme of averaging of rents. Under this loans covering the greater portion of the cost of scheme rents for 3 bedroom units were fixed at providing house and land, and requiring only £3 lOs. Od. minimum and £5 5s. Od. maximum for 3 the metropolitan area and £3 6s. Od. minimum and ment was entered into with the Melbourne City £5 Is. Od. maximum for the country. Compatible Council for the clearance of additional areas under maximum and minimum rents were fixed for all which the Council will contribute £300,000 over other bedroom types. All rents above and below the next 3 years. Similar agreements have been made these ranges were adjusted. These adjustments with other Councils. To the 30th June, 1964 a total have not been sufficient to cover losses and con of £17,850,445 had been expended by the Com sideration will have to be given to some adjustment mission on both acquisition and redevelopment. of these ranges to overcome the loss on rental Of this, £3,439,547 was spent in the past 12 months. operations which will rise in the ensuing financial To date 190 acres have been proclaimed or acquired year. and 98l acres redeveloped. All the variable items of cost- municipal rates, The demand for elderly persons' accommodation maintenance and administration - have risen is still high, particularly from lone women. Appli during the year and are expected to rise at a greater cations held total 2,295 for lone persons and 436 rate in the future. Rental rebates, amounting to for couples with waiting times extending over many £385,892 for the year, an increase of £60,397 on last years. The building programme for this type of year, are causing some concern. This increase is accommodation is to be intensified. Over the next the direct result of the accelerated programme for few years 6 blocks of 200 units will be constructed housing elderly pensioners. Every such unit built providing lifts, central heating and hot water and increases the total of rebates by some £100 per community rooms. In addition the present annum. Rebates to elderly pensioners totalled programme of 3 storey construction, being carried £173,825 for the year, nearly half of the total of out in co-operation with Councils, will be increased. rebates allowed. This places an unfair burden on The Commission is accepting the challenge to the Commission's rental operations or more provide the elderly with adequate accommodation specifically, on the tenants, as this revenue loss but some financial help must be made available. must be met from rents. lt should be borne by the The Commission finds difficulty in accepting the whole community either by assistance from the situation whereby the Commonwealth Government Commonwealth Government or some other source. is prepared to assist private bodies on a £2 for £I During the year 1,825 houses were sold making basis, but is not prepared to assist the Commission the total sold to date I 8,459.Nei profit on house sales to carry out the same task. was £120,476. The sale price of Commission homes has been based on the mean of cost and replace Planning for the new town of Hazelwood has ment price of house and land plus I per cent. proceeded to the point where construction work Toward the end of the year the Government set an is now in hand. upper limit of £4,995, or actual cost where it was greater, as the sale price. All past sales effected at Commission staff located at 179 Queen Street a price greater than this maximum were adjusted is still operating under crowded conditions in some with a resulting loss of gross profit of £152,804 sections. Accommodation is unsatisfactory in that to 30th June. 1964. Future profits on house sales the public and particularly mothers with prams, will be greatly reduced. Current construction costs must use lifts to gain access to the various depart together with the developed land cost, are mostly ments on the upper floors. Ground floor accom in excess of the maximum fixed and will result in modation is required to enable concentration on sales being made at cost, with no profit. that level of all branches having direct dealings with the public. A further serious disability of the Progress on the clearance of reclamation areas Queen Street premises is the complete lack of car was maintained, within the restricted limits of parking space. A building suitable to the finance available for this work. To the 30th June, Commission's needs was purchased at 625 Swanston 1964 a total of £5,093,717 had been made available, Street in 1963 but, subsequently the Government £3,700,939 by the State Government, and the allocated the building to the Health Department for balance from other sources.

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