In July and August, classified listings for apartments in The Beacon rarely appeared multiple weeks – never so for one-bedroom listings.
Apartments are at the top of the list for in-demand dwellings, said Mr. Dwyer, who added boarding house accommodations appear to have dried up in recent years.
“Maybe the people who were always boarding are getting a little older and don’t want to have students in their houses anymore, or maybe they have their mortgages paid off and don’t need them anymore.”
The shortage in rental accommodations may seem even more surprising when considering Gander has witnessed a recorded number of new builds in residential homes over the last two years. In 2009, 106 residential permits were issued by the Town compared to 100 in 2008. This year’s pace is behind 2009, but it is still expected to approach 100 by the end of 2010.
For military personnel arriving without families, 9 Wing Gander has to look beyond its own residential housing units spread throughout town. They each contain three-to-four bedrooms, and are generally used for personnel with families, said Capt. Sheppard.
Sgt. Waterman’s two-room space at 9 Wing Gander includes a bedroom and living room. She shares a kitchen with other personnel, access to which can prove competitive.
Capt. Sheppard said accommodating these circumstances is not as easy as it once was, given the closure of its headquarters last year due to mould concerns. That building included several suites, but now the base is left with one barrack block.
“If people are coming in on imposed restriction, we like to put them somewhere that’s a bit more comfortable,” said Capt. Sheppard.
info@ganderbeacon.ca
.jpg)
.jpg)
