Due to the high rent increases, migration from Istanbul to the provinces where the rents are more suitable has started. The average rent in Istanbul has exceeded ₺8 thousand.
Inflation, which has increased rapidly in recent months and broke the record of the last 24 years with 78.62% in June, is felt much harder due to high demand in big cities and tourism regions. Those employed in many sectors, from healthcare to retail, headed for Anatolia, where the cost of living is lower.
SUPPORTS SHOULD BE PUT TO WORK IMMEDIATELY
Employee migration, which is expected to increase even more in September, is expected to cause problems in finding personnel in the coming period. Sector representatives emphasized that supports such as rent and lodging for employees should be put into use as soon as possible in order to stop the said migration.
According to the news of Leyla Ilhan-Yener Karadeniz-Merve Yigitcan from the World, the exorbitant increase in rents despite the minimum wage increase in July makes life even more difficult in metropolitan cities such as Istanbul and coastal areas such as Antalya. It is stated that these developments have caused rent-based migration from cities such as Mugla, Antalya and Istanbul, which have the highest rental prices in Turkiye, to the eastern provinces.
AVERAGE RENT IN ISTANBUL EXCEEDED ₺8 THOUSAND
According to the data of Endeksa.com, as of June, average rents increased by 73% in Mugla in the last year and reached ₺14 thousand 937. In Antalya, it increased by 310% to ₺10 thousand 397 and in Istanbul it increased by 168% to ₺8 thousand 107. High rent increases have caused these metropolitan cities, which were once among the most attractive regions, to turn into deprivation zones for civil servants and low incomes. While this situation accelerated reverse migration, it also stopped those who wanted to come to metropolitan cities to work.
THERE MAY BE RETIRED IMMIGRATION TO INTERNAL REGIONS
Ahmet Buyukduman, one of the Founding and Managing Partners of Istanbul Real Estate Appraisal, argued that the regions with high rents for public employees will now become deprivation zones, therefore, more single employees will be employed in these regions. Buyukduman said that two or three people would come together to buy a house, or that they would choose to stay in hostels or hotels such as adult dormitories. Noting that if the process continues, it will be difficult for the public to find teachers for schools, Buyukduman said, “In the USA, municipalities are building housing units to attract teachers.
In places where rents are $2,000 to $3,000, they’re giving away $500 in rent assistance to attract good teachers.” Buyukduman said that while he used to provide housing for public employees in deprived areas, today, in regions such as Mugla and Antalya where rents are very high, regional-based rent support can be given based on the price index of the Central Bank, or the construction of housing should be put on the agenda. On the other hand, Ahmet Buyukduman stated that regions such as Bodrum, Marmaris and Mugla are retirement areas at the same time and said: “It may be possible for these people to rent out their existing houses on the beach and go to their hometowns. Therefore, in the past, there was a retirement migration from the metropolitan areas to the coasts, now there may be a retirement migration from the coasts to the inner regions.”
“ATATURK AIRPORT CAN BE USED FOR SHELTER”
Nizamettin Asa, President of the Istanbul Chamber of Real Estate Agents, also noted that due to the excessively increasing rents, regions such as Istanbul have turned into a region of exile, especially for civil servants. “The civil servant receives a maximum salary of ₺10 thousand, but there are no rental houses in Istanbul below ₺7 thousand to ₺8 thousand. The sale of housing also had a negative impact. That’s why nobody wants to come to Istanbul. Those who are in Istanbul are doing their best to go.” Noting that for this reason, people will either change the house or the province they are in, Asa drew attention to the necessity of increasing the supply. Stating that public residences can be evaluated in this area, Asa said, “For example, Ataturk Airport can be used for this purpose. Because in September, students will come too. In this way, dormitories for adults can be increased.”
“MOBILITY OF MOVEMENT STARTED”
Hakan Bucak, General Manager of Mars Investment, said, “Continuing such price increases will cause people to migrate to more affordable interior areas by finding jobs.” Stating that there has been a movement about the relocation of public and private sector employees to other cities due to the decrease in purchasing power, Bucak shared the following information: “Also, young people who are university graduates and get job offers from Istanbul cannot leave their parents’ house due to the rents. With the residence restriction for the foreigner, these houses will have to be put on the market for rent again. With the release of these apartments, there may be a drop in prices.”
Turkiye Kamu-Sen Chairman Onder Kahveci said that the tendency to ask for appointments from metropolitan cities to Anatolia is not very new, and said, “As the population increases in the summer season in settlements such as Bodrum and Marmaris, there are assignments to those regions. However, they do not want to go there because the rents are high. We know this. Of course, public employees and health workers in Bodrum have difficulty in renting, because it is high. Therefore, it is necessary to provide housing.”
WORKER PROBLEMS IN TEXTILE AND RETAIL INCREASED
Increasing immigration has led to a long-standing problem of finding workers in many labor-intensive industries. Textile and retail sectors are at the forefront of these sectors. In these sectors, where the ratio of young and female employees is quite high, it is feared that this problem will grow even more in the coming period. They are supported by bonuses and tips. Alp Onder Ozpamukcu, President of the Turkish Shopping Centers and Retailers Federation (TAMPF), which represents 90% of the organized retail industry with 5 associations, 503 members and 93 thousand sales points, explained that they have had difficulties in finding employees in the sector for a long time.
Ozpamukcu said, “With the epidemic, there was a shift to the courier part by both the restaurant and the store. With the cost of life, there is again a serious mobility. We do not have a determination as to whether immigration is the cause of the current problem, but this may be one of the reasons. In big cities, the problem of finding staff is at much higher levels. That’s why we cooperate. Career opportunities should also be explained well. Because the retail industry is a fast-paced industry.”
Source: Yenicaggazetesi / Translated by Irem Yildiz