SHORTAGE OF HOUSES

Waikato Times, Volume 90, Issue 14021, 26 March 1919, Page 2

SHORTAGE OF HOUSES

POSITION IfJ HAMILTON. BECOMING MORE ACUTE. Idle position in regard to the shoringe of houses in Hamilton is daily becoming more acute, and the solution of the problem of how to supply the needs of the many people seeking a dwelling place is becoming increasingly difficult. line of the leading house agents. Interviewed by a Wikato Times c pc ■ - sentative yesierday morning, sir.! V. that empty houses are now scarce.m than ever, and he did net think I'm c ’ were more than four, if as many, in the borough. His firm has not a single house on their books —;u tael, lias only had two small collages to let during, the past three months. 1 !>•*> have 35 to TO names on their books of people wanting houses. For a house to be let at Hie high rent of 22s Gd per week there were no fewer (nan 89 applicants. The firm state that they could let. two* dozen houses immediately. Rents in Hamilton, according to Government returns, are the -highest in New Zealand, with the exception of those charged in Wellington. One result of the acute shortage is that people are buying, in most eases paying a small deposit in order to ensure that the house they are occupying shall not ho sold over their heads. Financed by Government loan they are able to secure a house at interest which is really cheaper than paying rent, and at the same lime the property is becoming their own. The many soldiers now returning and settling down arc accentuating the position. It is an ill wind, etc! Tim boarding-house-keeper and those lotting apartments are reaping a, harvest, for many people have had to board for months before securing a bouse. It would be interesting, too. to know the actual number of people who have come to Hamilton with the intention of settling, have boarded for weeks, and then, unable to obtain a house, have left the town again. “We Pf2ust Build.” Another agent, interviewed, expressed the same view regarding the shoring.:- of bouses —that it was daily becoming more acute. "Building must be carried out,” he said, "to meet the natural expansion. We are selling more houses and sections than ever before, very often at the smallest- possible deposit. It. is the only way people can prevent themselves from being pushed into the street. Almost daily Hamilton is losing population owing to the fact that people intending to settle here cannot find housing accommodation. The general public perhaps do not fully realise the true position, but It is serious, and becoming even more so. The return of the thousands of soldiers, many of them with English wives and others with the intention of marrying the girls they left behind them, will, of course, accentuate the jiosltion.” Cr petent Carpenters Wanted. A r atter which is having a considerable, if little realised, effect on the housing problem is the shortage of competent carpenters. Interview id by our representative, a loadpng employer stated that this was acute, and was largely due, he considered, to the legislation of a dozen years ago, which laid it down that a master builder must have only one apprentice to three journeymen. Thus young boys were unable to come into the 'trade, and the effect was being felt to-day. Of course, the return of the soldiers shortly will relieve the position. In the old days a boy received two years’ training in the factory and three outside, and was thus turned out fully competent. The shortage of trained workmen not •alone in carpentering, but in all ■trades allied to building, could not be over emphasised. Of course there were many good workmen, but noc sufficient of them to meet the demand.

The high cost of labour and material, said an informant, made it almost impossible for a speculator to build a house to be let at a rent which would give 'him a fair return. Thus there was comparatively little building going on. The increased cost of labour was quite 30 per cent. The wages of carpenters arc to ac increased from April Ist to Is lOd per hour. This is the minimum, but even at that rate of pay it is'almost Impossible to get competent men. There is no go-slow policy _ among the men; each is “doing his bit.”' The trouble is the shortage of labour offering. It will be seen that there are many aspects of the housing problem. And in the meantime the individual and the community suffer. The Municipal Scheme. Notice is given that the poll of ratepayers in connection witti the Hamilton Borough Council's proposal to raise a loan of £20,000 for the erection of workers’ dwellings will he taken at the Town Hall, Hamilton, and the Town Hull. Frankton, on Wednesday, April 23. The proposed security fur the loan is the revenue from the dwellings, and a special rate of 9-32 of a penny in the £ on the rateable value (unimproved) of all rateable property in iho borough of Hamilton. The loan ■is to be for a period of 30 years, with interest at ml cent, and a sinkingfund of 1 per cent. It is proposed to pay out of the loan the cost of raising the loan and the first year’s interest and sinking fund. It is to bo hoped that the ratepayers of Hamilton will strengthen the hands of the Borough Councillors by voting solidly for the proposal. The matter is one of vital importance to the town, for though Hip carrying of the loan will not provide sufficient money to meet all needs it will do much to ease the position. One of Hamilton's greatest needs at the present time is adequate housing accommodation to meet the many inquiries, and the municipal scheme is worthy of general support. That being so, the poll should bo carried by an overwhelming majority. The Sams Story Elsewhere. Our representative, on a' recent visit south, found the same conditions existing everywhere. In Masterton and Palmerston the cry was for more houses, although in Hie former town particularly much building had been going on, map.y new houses of Hie most modern type having been erected during the past few years. It was rather amusing to be told everywhere that “ Our town is experiencing a great shortage of houses, the position being more acute than anywhere else in New Zealand.” Many of the residents seemed to he rather surprised when told that the same conditions prevailed in oilier parts. In Masterton there is a strong agitation for a municpal housing scheme. The two papers are taking opposite sides as to whether or not the houses should be built out of the ratepayers’ money, and the matter is being thoroughly threshed, out.

Fositon in Christchurch. There is, according to several land agents who were seen by a Chrislclnircdi Press reporter on the subject, a derided shortage of modern houses to h;l in Chri d-dr.uvli Just at present - —a iv.Hmr s, noils stale of a hairs ;n view of the large number of men returning from tile fro;;!, very man; o! whom want to staid housekeeping. The shortage is in four, Jive, and sixroomed dwellings at reals ranging from ios to 25s per week. The number of this class of house availaide for letting is almost negligible as compared with the demand. Some idea of the .-traits to which some householders have boon reduced ifc given by the allegation made hy one i aid agonl that tie was uttered a premium of over £lO if he could supply the class of house desired. There are a number of small houses on the letting li-t ai 10s per week, but the majority " are no I til to put a dog In," as one agent phrased it. Bungalows are much in dim md, one ageni stating lliai his average duly inquiries for tins class of dwelling were about 50. Tile absence of sufficient properties to tel has led lo bids!; business in the side of dwellings, and prices ranging from r.O pb.. cent, oil pre-war figures are being aske.,l, and in very many cases obtained. ,! ust at present builders and others connected with the building trade do not hold out much hope of the price of building material falling, and until it does there is not likely to he much endeavour lo meet the demand for houses by building them. An indication o£ the keen competition there is her houses is given by the. fact that a house-hunter, on learning that a corlaln dwelling would be lo let, applied Tor it at 5.30 a.m. on the day It was available; later comers, totalling 27, were, of course, greatly disappointed. Wellington’s “ House Hunger.” “ House hunger ” exists in Wellington to an extent probably greater than ever before (says the Dominion). Tt- was thought- that, the termination of hostilities would herald a drift away from the Empire City on the part of •those who had taken up their residence there to be near headquarters whilst their soldier relatives were away, but now, four months after the armistice, congestion is as rife as ever, and the heart of the housebroker rejoices. Why he should he glad is because of the fact that people, being unable to rent houses, or rent them at a reasonable figure, are being forced to buy, and the fact that the eager purchaser is about has a trick of forcing up values. Indeed, many cases could be quoted as showing that he does the forcing himself by offering a figure likely to tempt the owner. The prices now. being paid for ordinary four, five and six-roomed houses stagger outsiders, and simply amaze those who come from the Old Country. Only recently some cottages — five-roomed, at least a quarter of a century old—were sold for £2OOO each, whilst properties in favoured areas are proportionately high-priced.