BOARD HARD TO FIND

Southland Times, Issue 25796, 6 October 1945, Page 8

BOARD HARD TO FIND

SERIOUS POSITION AT GORE The finding of board in public establishments and private houses at Gore has become a problem which is rivalling that of securing houses to rent and to buy. The position in both cases is The seriousness of the problem was brought home to a reporter of The Southland Times when he assisted in a search this week on behalf of a man who required temporary accommodation. The quest involved the canvassing of about 20 public and private houses, and it was only the fact that a proprietor was prepared to put herself to some inconvenience that requirements were finally satisfied. The search took up the most part of a day, during which a running fire of inquiries was maintained about fresh addresses. The experience, however, was that of many other during recent months. “We have two or three persons calling here almost every, day,” was the remark of several private boardinghouse keepers. A big number of those occupying rooms at public and private accommodation houses are married couples, anxiously awaiting the chance to buy or rent a home of their own; also on the waiting list are men who have been transferred to positions at Gore, but who cannot shift their wives and families because of their failure to secure a home. Some have been boarding for two years. In the meantime they have been keeping two homes. Some day, they hope, they will be able to rent a house; they hope it will be soon. There is also the case of the farmer who has sold his property with a view to retiring in town, but who has not appreciated the seriousness of the housing position. He and his wife are accepting the hospitality of town friends. Government officials on temporary transfer have their problems to solve.

The difficulties are not only shared by persons in search of board. Rising costs have imposed additional burdens on boarding-house proprietors, who are carrying on with minimum staff requirements. The only alternative is an increase in tariff, and this in turn will press more heavily on those boarders already under a severe financial strain. With the return of further drafts from overseas, it appears that the problem will not be eased until there is a substantial increase in the amount of building. High costs and shortages of materials appear to preclude any big development in this direction for some time.