SHORTAGE OF HOMES IN NAPIER

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 50, 15 March 1937, Page 8

SHORTAGE OF HOMES IN NAPIER

Unaffected by Building At Marewa AGENTS RUSHED No improvement in the housing problem at Napier has been brought about by the great amount of building rocently completed and in the course" of progress at Marewa. House agents state that there is not a five-roomed house in reasonable condition to let any where in Napier, and that if one does come on to the market there is not time enough to put a notice to this e2ect ou their boards before a househunter has descended hard on the hcels of the rumour ^hat there was a -residence available and had gone 02 with the key to inspect his or her "find." Several agents questioned to-day regarding any change in the position were unanimous in saying that the position to-day was as bad as it" had been since the earthquake. Familiee in improved circumstances were on the lookout for better houses, but found that there were none to be had. Government officials transferred to Napier spent fruitless-days searching for something to suit them, and finall.y were forced to take a high-priced or unsuitable house while they continued the search. i "I can honestly say, and I think that other agents will be in agreement with my statement, that the building at Marewa has not made any di2erence to the position at all," said one of those interviewed. "Those who have settled on Marewa seem to be in a peculiar position. They are either young couples who have set up housekeeping only recently* or neweomers to the town. Others are those who were previously forced to board or to share a house with another family, but who are now able to set up house on their own as a results of the increased wages. There appears to have been quite a lot of this double-banking, and now, with most of them able to a2ord a house of their own, the demand for houses-to-rent has been considerably increased." 'Twice during this conversation, the agent was interrupted by people asking for houses. As one left, the agent eommented that he was a . regular caller who made a practice of coming in nearly every day to make sure that he did not migs any opportunity to obtain a suitable house. "The position is that tn'ere ' are dozens of people looki'ng for Koiises and no houses for them," was the way in which another agent summed-up the position. "A five-ro'omed bungalow" is impossible to get at a Teasonable price, and even older houses and cottages do not reniain long on the market. ' ' That the shortage of houses to let is also interfering with the sale of houses was the opinion of yet another agent. He said that there were people on his lists who wanted to buy .a house, and were prepared to pay £200 or £300 down, and make substantial regular payments on the balance. They found flouse-owners willin'g to sell, but also reluctant to do so because of the difficulty of them obtaining a' home of their own.