Students, working women facing accommodation problems in twin cities
By Mona Khan

ISLAMABAD—Bachelors, students and working women are facing residential problems due to acute shortage of accommodation facilities in the twin cities.
Khurram Shahzad, living in a single room in Sector G-9/2 said that the main cause of the accommodation shortage was the lack of bachelor hostels and proper housing schemes in the twin cities.
He said that he had been facing residential problem since he landed in the capital in 2003 after completing his studies.
“In the past five years, I have changed my residence many times due to the ill attitude of landlords or lack of basic facilities,” he added.
He said that the setting up of more hostels could bring relief to bachelors who come here from distant areas of the country in search of jobs and education.
Anwar Chishti, an IT employee, said that rents of rooms and houses had surged in the last few years due to the unprecedented influx of students and job seekers in the twin cities. “ I ampaying Rs 6,000 for a single unfurnished room and the owner raises rent, 10 percent every year,” he added.
Muhammad Bilal, a student, said that due to non-availabilityof proper hostel facilities, he had to live in a small room.
“It is quite difficult for a student to find a reasonableliving place at affordable rates,” he added. He said that private hostels had been charging Rs 6,000 to Rs 8,000 for a single bed accommodation adding that these hostels had no proper arrangement for cleanliness.
“I am residing in a small room of a private hostel with three other girls due to paucity of hostels for girls in the twin cities,” said Ghazala Nasreen, an employ of a semi-government organization.
She said, “We pay Rs 6,000 per head to the hostel management who provide two time meals and breakfast. “Ghazala Nasreen said that there was no proper arrangement for cleanliness and the food was substandard.
She appealed to the authorities concerned to take steps forsetting up new girls hostels in the twin cities because the existing hostel facilities were not sufficient to the ever-increasing women working class.
A property dealer, Akhtar Niaz, said that bachelors were facing many problems in finding accommodation as owners preferred to rent out houses to families.