On Friday, April 13th, the Government's Housing Bill was published.
Its chief - constructive proposal is that the Government will give the local authorities £6 a year for twenty years for every house below what may be roughly called the parlour size: - Something is done for the middle classes by the grant of powers to local bodies to advance sums to builders of houses costing under £1,500. But it is seriously doubted whether these powers can be much used. Mr. Neville Chamberlain calls his Bill not a solution of the housing problem, but a contribution to it. At such modesty it is difficult to carp, but there does seem something very regrettable in the fact that we are apt to put up houses below the standard which public opinion regards as the minimum possible accommodation for a family. Perhaps this is inevitable in our -financial situation, but if it is Mr. Chamberlain and the Government will do well to prove it ; otherwise public opinion will not forgive them. Is it possible—since we are all for economy—that the minimum house should be so designed as to be capable of expansion later ? Could the parlour be added when the financial situation eased ? Perhaps some architect would tell us.
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