sep 18, 1937 - First State House

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The first Labour Government, led by Michael Joseph Savage, wanted to provide homes and stability for people left jobless after the Depression. They loaned money for private house purchases and built houses for the public to rent. The 5,000th state house was built in 1939. Architects provided 400 different designs, and no two homes were exactly alike.

Source: https://www.hnzc.co.nz/about-us/history-of-state-housing/

Labour wanted to provide new suburban homes for working-class people living in dilapidated inner-city districts. In building these homes, it hoped to stimulate local industry and provide work for those left jobless by the Great Depression. Under the dynamic leadership of the under-secretary for housing, John A. Lee, the government soon initiated the largest housing construction scheme in the nation's history, securing hundreds of hectares of suburban land across New Zealand, upon which private builders erected thousands of high-quality modern state houses. In September 1937, Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage opened the first of these: 12 Fife Lane, Miramar, Wellington.

Source: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/we-call-it-home/the-state-steps-in-and-out

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