Jobs abound but available homes hard to find

Bryan Cadogan.
Bryan Cadogan.
Demand for housing in Balclutha is the highest Clutha Mayor Bryan Cadogan  has seen  in a generation and some people who cannot find accommodation  are living in tents, he says.

The issue was becoming more apparent and was in part caused by  the district’s success in attracting more people to fill a large number of jobs, he said.

House demand was exceeding supply in the town and some people could not afford the higher prices now common. 

"We are seeing people having to make severe compromises on their accommodation just to get by."

He was aware some people were even resorting to what he saw as "extremely difficult living arrangements", including sleeping in tents, something a lot of people in Clutha would not be aware was happening.

"Most people wouldn’t realise the pressure that many are under."

Those living in tents, both at camping grounds and at other "random areas", or in temporary accommodation in the town, were doing so on a semi-permanent basis, he said.

"I’ve never seen it to this extent in my lifetime."

Balclutha Motor Camp operator John McGowan said he had about 10 permanent residents at the camping ground.

Most had jobs. Some were using the camp as  temporary accommodation while they tried to find a permanent place.

He had had to turn away people seeking long-term accommodation, as it was not his primary business and he needed to leave space for visitors, he said.

The ODT also spoke to tenants at backpackers Cedar Tree Lodge, who said they struggled to find accommodation when they first moved to Balclutha.

One resident, Tony, said he, his partner and three children under 10 had moved from the North Island expecting Balclutha to be a cheaper place to live.

They moved into the lodge long-term at the start of the year after failing to find a house they could afford to rent.

"It is hard to find properties."

Mr Cadogan estimated  there were up to 1000 jobs in the Clutha district that needed to be  filled and having people struggling to find accommodation would not help the situation.

There was a lot of focus on the housing crisis in Auckland and Queenstown but the Clutha district had its challenges, too, Mr Cadogan said.

"It’s on a different scale, but we’re having to sort our one out on our own."

The situation could require the council to step in, something he wanted people to think about.

It seemed private developers were unwilling to take the risk of creating subdivisions in Balclutha, so that left the council, which was looking at where it could do such work through its community plans, being drafted at present.

The council was "the last man standing" if developers were not interested, he said.

"If we don’t do something about it, then we have lost the opportunity."

"I think it is really awkward, because we have the jobs, we have the potential and now there is this," Mr Cadogan said.

"It’s a challenge, but it’s a new challenge for the district and, actually, it is an exciting challenge."

samuel.white@odt.co.nz

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