HOUSING PROBLEM IN WANGANUI

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 44, 22 February 1939, Page 6

HOUSING PROBLEM IN WANGANUI

INCREASE IN “FLATTING”

DEMAND FOR DWELLINGS EXCEEDS SUPPLY

"There is a definite housing shortage in Wanganui," said a real estate agent yesterday, when asked to comment on the figures supplied by the Mayor (Mr. W. J. Rogers) to a meeting of the Harbour Board on Monday. “Houses are changing hands," he said, "because it is almost impossible to get dwellings to let. People are buying to get possession of places to live in, and are realising that it is just as easy to do that as pay rent.” He added that property which was in poor repair naturally had little appeal to a would-be purchaser. "The older type of dwelling, with many spacious rooms, has a value in that it could be easily converted into flats. I know of one dwelling that has been divided into three flats. There is an increase in the demand for flats these days.”

Another agent approached confirmed the opinions expressed by the first. He was of opinion that there was room in Wanganui for blocks of up-to-date flats on the lines of some of those seen in the bigger cities. “I am surprised that the Government is not building to cater for the demand for flats,” he said.

A property owner approached said that the housing shortage was so acute that it was difficult in some cases to obtain a landlord's rights and resume possession to enable a sale to be made. Tenants found it extremely difficult to find houses and the necessary eviction order was hard to obtain because of that.