THE Shannon News TUESDAY, JULY 26, 1921. RELIEVING THE HOUSE SHORTAGE

Shannon News, 26 July 1921, Page 2

THE Shannon News TUESDAY, JULY 26, 1921. RELIEVING THE HOUSE SHORTAGE

It is not generally Known how acute the house shortage has become in Shannon, and no doubt to many it will come as a surprise to learn that there are as many as eight persons occupying a single room about 14 feet long by 12 feet across, within walking distance of our town. Shannon has been short of houses for a Jong time, in fact for the last twelve years, and recently the position has become worse. Many people are living in •buildings that are not worthy of the name of shed, and should, in fact, be condemned as unfit for human-.habita tion. The authorities here have been lenient in the matter, however. Should the owners of these shacks prefer to pull them down rather than make the occupants would be forced to take’•shelter in tents. Should there he a prospect oi a dwelling-becoming vacant, the owners are besieged with applicants and can command almost, any rent asked. The Fair Rent Act is forgotten in the endeavour to get shelter. The reason for the shortage is, of course, largely the high cost of building and" the many belter investments offering for capital. With 7 and 8 per cent offer-

ing for money at the present time, it is not likely that many houses will be built for letting purposes, lor the average investor much prefers to sit back and draw his interest quarterly than to have the worry of Collecting rent, which, in many cases, after deducting maintenance, rates and insurance, does not amount to 5 per cent on the selling value. The result is that, owners generally want to sell, and the tenant finds that his only security lies in buying a home for himself. Consequently many more people in Shannon to-day own their own houses than formerly. We have now reached the time when there is no alternative but to build, to meet the increasing demand of our growing population. One way of relieving the situation is by co-operation in a building society working on sound lines. Such a society operating in Shannon would be of great benefit. It is to be hoped some effort will be made in this direction, for the progress of the town in the immediate future is dependent, on the decent housing -of citizens who wish to make their homes here.