House rents unaffordable in twin cities

[Salman]

Islamabad : Unaffordable house rents in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi are creating accommodation problems for bachelors, students and working class.

A survey conducted by APP found that the increasing demand for residential accommodation, prices of rental housing in cities are not according to the size or quality of house.

Hanif Arshaf, a property dealer while talking to APP, said the demand for housing has increased with the onset of winter and influx of people from hill stations like Murree, AJK and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to pass cold days in the twin cities.

He said the dealers earn maximum revenue in this season as in summer or other season, their business downs with decreased demand of accommodations.The houses in elite class sectors of cities unaffordable for the middle class. Mohsin Ali, a student living in F-6 said taking the advantage of my helplessness, the allottee is demanding more rent with the approach of winter.

He said he had no other option but to live in the single room as the twin cities have no proper accommodation facility for working class, bachelors and students.“The bachelor hostels are also engaged in money-making spree without providing proper facilities to the inhabitants,” he added.

Amir Saleem, a student said that “we had been lodging at university hostel after paying Rs4000 per month but after completion of study, we would be unable to find accommodation in cities.”

He said rents have been skyrocketing for the last three to four years due to ever increasing inflation but the situation deteriorates when people from hilly areas arrive here and pay rents in advance, leaving no place for poor students and bachelors.

Citizens demanded to the government for construction of private hostels for the people, coming to the federal capital from far flung areas to find job, study or for business.“Lack of hostel facilities in the federal capital and sometimes in the universities make them to shuttle between twin cities in search of accommodation,” he added.According to a CDA official, the housing rentals would decrease once the CDA develops new residential sectors. He said the Authority was in process of acquiring land.