SHORTAGE OF HOUSES.

Taihape Daily Times, 25 March 1919, Page 6

SHORTAGE OF HOUSES.

CONDITIONS IN LONDON Like the chief centres in New Zealand, the shortage of houses and fiats in the London district is resulting in something more than a brisk demand —there is literally a scramble for empty and “desirable” residences. A (discharged soldier writes to a London paper stating that he has been searching for an eight roomed house or flat for three inonths; he has tramped miles and ridden many more, and, after having called at upwards of 100 addresses, his efforts have achieved nothing. “At practically all of those places,” he adds, “the agents had the same story to tell. Empty houses to suit my modest requirements of eight: rooms and a bath-room at about £SO per year could scarcely be said to exist. For this accommodation the rent was seldom below £55 or £65, which Avith rates Avould cost me from £BO to £9O a pear. “The desire seems to be to sell, rather than to rent, the smaller type of suburban house, and so take advantage of the high prices now ruling, pn three occasions, Avhen I really thought I had made a ‘find,’ the solicitors to Avhorn the agents referred me to, said their intention Avas to sell, adding that they had two or three offers for every one of their available properties. I knoAv of at least two entire estates, involving scores , of houses, that arc being disposed of in this way. “'This is a very serious prolbom fop a discharged soldier like myself to face. The man aaTio enlisted at a. persona; profit is a rarity, and it seems to me that men w r ho did not enlist, and whoso bank balance has boon increased by the war, are uoav (unintentionally, no doubt) making it impossible for the ex-soldier to re-start - his suburban homo. “My personal experience this morning is an example of the unprecedented rush. A friendly agent told me o' a flat wTiich had become available only the previous day. To save time I took a taxicab to the address, where

the landlord told me it had been let a quarter of an hour ago. And two other applicants were already on the doorstep! “The last agent I interviewed gave me the cheering information that things would get steadily worse, and rents would be certain to rise yet more before the position improved. ‘Speculative building,” he said, ‘practically stopped about two years before the war. Six years’ arrears have thus to be made up.’ “The State,” he added, “will bo chiefly concerned with building three, four, or five-roomed model houses for Avorkmcn, and labour and material will, in that way, be absorbed at the expense of the tenanr Avho wants eight rooms for, say, £"SO a year.”