Story: Housing and government

State house plan

Like the 1890–1912 Liberal government, the first Labour government (elected in 1935) wanted to use its state-housing scheme to raise the standard of housing. Houses would be built of quality materials and equipped with modern amenities. They would also be erected to a wide range of designs, so no house in the same part of a street was the same. More than 400 different designs were prepared by architects, including this one of a two-bedroom dwelling. All state houses were orientated so the living room received ample sun, and bedrooms featured new amenities such as built-in wardrobes.

Using this item

Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga
Reference: AALF W1559 6114 Box 1 6E/1082

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

Ben Schrader, 'Housing and government - State loans and state houses', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/zoomify/32423/state-house-plan (accessed 20 April 2024)

Story by Ben Schrader, published 20 Jun 2012