HOUSE SHORTAGE IN HASTINGS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 172, 7 August 1937, Page 4

HOUSE SHORTAGE IN HASTINGS

Prospects for Selling Are Bright i ( FEW T0 LfeT 1 1 The shortage of houses in Ha»t- . 1 ings is getting steadily worso mstead of better, according to inqulries made from land-agents this morning by a Herald-Tribune rcporter. It appears that there are extremely fcw houses in Hastings bearing the "to lot" Sig* Oue agent had. only four houses o'i hls books, and these were old-fasbioneti types of dwellings. Most of those offered by other agents are at rentals above what most people are prepared to pay. "I thinlc w6 could do with 30 OT 40 more houses in Hastings," jaid one land-agent this morning, "but this would give relief only for a time. The 26 house% to he built shortly under the Government housing scheme will have onlv a temporary chfcck on the' demand, t nd the 1 ent which it is proposed to charge l"er these wiil, in many cases, r:e higher than the people are pre'paTed to pay. "Legislation now is more favourable to the tenant than to the owner, and, because of the .diffieulty of regaining possession, many owners ar" reluctant to take any risks by lctting their houses. For this reason a number of houses in Hastings are being held for sale only. "Prospects for selling houses are bright; in foct, the shortage of rented houses is making it neC^isary for those who need homes to consider obtaining -them through some meahs of purchase agreement/ The risiii jf?, costs of mate' ial and la'bour nave uiil'oubtcciiy put n curb on the building ot dwellings, bufc there is a keen demand for the purchase of houses already built. There is also a good demand for small holdings of a few acres but these are practically unobtainablei. ' ' Rents had increased slightiy in the iast year ar two, he said. It was practmally impossible to obtain what might be termed a good house in a good locality at a rent of less than 39/- u week. "The position is just as in Auckland, " said another land agent, referring to an account of the conditions their published ih our columns on Thui-sday. People were forced to buy houses by putting down a small deposit. In many cases Ihe purchasers Would never own the houses, but they had the satisfaction of knowing that, as long as the interest, and perhaps a small portion of the principal was puid, they could not be ejeeted.