Finding an affordable house is becoming increasingly challenging in Samtse especially for newcomers. With only a few houses available for rent, most of the new settlers in the district have to either manage with their friends and relatives or stay a little away from the town areas.
Anand Rai, 27, from Dorokha has managed to find a small commercial space for his printing house in the town area. However, he is still searching for an apartment to live in.
“I have been looking for a house for almost a year now. It has been very difficult and I have still not been able to find a house for rent. For now, I am staying with one of my friends by bearing half of the house rent.”
While he continues his search, Anand says that rents have also started to soar.
“It is very difficult to get a house here be it for residential or business purposes. And even if you get one, it will be very expensive. The rents will be as expensive as the shops in bigger towns of Phuentshogling and Thimphu.”
Other residents also shared similar thoughts.
“Even for civil servants like us, it is very difficult to get a house here in Samtse. There are a few houses available but the rent is very high. A small apartment will cost you a minimum of seven thousand ngultrum here. It is too much for a single person,” said Tashila.
“Rents of houses are soaring in Samtse. We have to rent an apartment to run our businesses and in the current situation, business is not going well like before. And due to the frequent lockdowns, we face a tough time paying our rents on time,” said Thil Mothey Pradhan, a shopkeeper.
Meanwhile, given the shortage of houses in the locality, a hotel owner started renting out some of his hotel rooms to people looking for homes.
“Many of the civil servants who are transferred here in Samtse find it very difficult to get a house for rent. Likewise, students also are not able to rent a house here as there are only a few residential areas available. As such I converted some of my hotel rooms into residential areas,” Peljor Dorji, owner of Samtse lodge.
Today, all 16 rooms which he recently converted into residential areas are occupied. But he said he still gets a lot of desperate calls from people looking for houses.
The residents here attribute the chronic housing crunch in the town to the growing population and a limited number of residential houses. Samtse town currently has about 18 buildings which are used for both residential and commercial purposes.
And despite the disruption created by the pandemic on the construction sector, about four buildings are on the verge of completion in the town today.
Likewise, a few more buildings are also coming up a little away from the town area which could help ease the housing shortage in the district to some extent.
Passang Dorji, Samtse
