When the first Labour government embarked on this programme back in the late 1930s they built homes, each different from their neighbours and all sitting on large plots allowing space for front and back lawns plus decent sized vegetable gardens. I know as I grew up in one.
In line with its highly desirable expressed policy of building a “home-owning democracy” the first National government in 1949, in return for tenants raking up deposit of a few hundred pounds, effectively converted the previous rental to interest and principal repayments, thereby allowing the occupants to buy their first homes. This was a highly desirable social action in creating communities in which the occupants as owners felt an involvement in their well-being. We have a unique opportunity to repeat this right now.
That is to design those sorts of suburbs we once built then offer them to Chinese construction companies to build.
Currently, grossly over-built China’s huge construction industry is wallowing in deep trouble, lacking any work. They could fly in thousands of workers who will gladly work 60 or more hour weeks and construct those houses at a fraction of the cost should we do it, not that we have the manpower to do so anyway. This will knock the top of the demand-supply problem.
Our housing crisis is unnecessary given this unique opportunity.
And having done this we should continue with National’s original scheme and allow the occupants, in return for mustering up a down payment, to covert their rent to interest and principal payments.
In other words, achieve the social stability implicit in their original goal of a home-owning democracy.
This is the same principle I out-lined a few months back re the backlog and waiting time for diverse medical operations. That was to fly plane-loads of patients to the countries such as Thailand, the Philippines and India that have created a surplus of surgeons as a foreign exchange earner and who offer such operations at a fraction of the cost we’d incur, trying in vain to catch up with the backlog demand.
Iran is doing this, targeting European nations and the pioneer in this exercise, Cuba, has been doing in for decades. This way we can in rapid time eliminate the backlog in our public hospital waiting lists and restore some balance in demand and supply.
Sir Bob Jones is a renowned author, columnist , property investor, and former politician, who blogs at No Punches Pulled HERE - where this article was sourced.
That is to design those sorts of suburbs we once built then offer them to Chinese construction companies to build.
Currently, grossly over-built China’s huge construction industry is wallowing in deep trouble, lacking any work. They could fly in thousands of workers who will gladly work 60 or more hour weeks and construct those houses at a fraction of the cost should we do it, not that we have the manpower to do so anyway. This will knock the top of the demand-supply problem.
Our housing crisis is unnecessary given this unique opportunity.
And having done this we should continue with National’s original scheme and allow the occupants, in return for mustering up a down payment, to covert their rent to interest and principal payments.
In other words, achieve the social stability implicit in their original goal of a home-owning democracy.
This is the same principle I out-lined a few months back re the backlog and waiting time for diverse medical operations. That was to fly plane-loads of patients to the countries such as Thailand, the Philippines and India that have created a surplus of surgeons as a foreign exchange earner and who offer such operations at a fraction of the cost we’d incur, trying in vain to catch up with the backlog demand.
Iran is doing this, targeting European nations and the pioneer in this exercise, Cuba, has been doing in for decades. This way we can in rapid time eliminate the backlog in our public hospital waiting lists and restore some balance in demand and supply.
Sir Bob Jones is a renowned author, columnist , property investor, and former politician, who blogs at No Punches Pulled HERE - where this article was sourced.
5 comments:
Bob Jones for PM. Better late than never.
MC
Once again Bob what you say makes a lot of sense but to make it happen someone needs to make a decision and that hasnt happened in the last six years.
Oh how I love to read what Sir Rob J writes and the n read the comments posted.
China, a construction industry "wallowing in deep trouble"!
If readers of Sir Rob's columns want something to do, then via your computer seek YouTube, in their search engine go seek the numerous videos of what the Chinese building industry has constructed.
Be impressed by the scale of building, the concepts that went into developing and building, then (this is a warning note) - be surprised, depressed, stunned at the fact that all those buildings you are looking at are vacant. Yes EMPTY. Why?
Well they were built on the money that the Chinese had, an investment, the
"intended purpose" was to move the fast growing population into these housing "estates"- except - no one wanted to move.
So what has that got to do with NZ, yes we have built "the old state house"" there are numerous suburbs in many towns & cities across NZ, but - as the children grew up, they moved away (clue Sir Rob J) so said houses became vacant. Did you know that in times gone by - that the NZ Housing Corp (now renamed) - sold these houses off, developing liability and the new owners had "to pay out of their pocket to re-develop".
Or in many cases, if brought by those wanting the land only, were torn down and new home (or homes) built - you got 2 on the section, bigger sales income you see.
So yes, the Chinese could build our homes, but where - Auckland?
Car based spawl over productive land as the 1960s is no loger realistic.A problem with Chinese workers is many contrive to stay, increasing house demand, and doing kiwi out of work and a reasonable not too intensive life style. Many of the culturally less motivated kiwi will be so dispirited they will just retire cosily into their fancy modern state houses. When Chinese at home learn of the soft life here thay will likely be very contemptuous and seek to arrive uninvited to exploit. We have only the haka to deter them.
Bring back the State Advances Corp. Lend money to people with a cap on repayments based on income. Some will never be repaid but the State will retain equity equivalent to the unpaid portion of the mortgage.
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