Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-21
building |NC|TY
| DECREASES RAPIDLY
Issuance of Permits Drops to
Low Mark During Last Six
or Eight Months.
BUYERS DEMAND HOUSES

| Ficurcs compiled by the District
building inspector show that While
| Washinyton's population has been in
creasing by the thousands in recent
! months. construction work on new
| dwellings has decreased rapidly
| officials of the District Council of De-
| tense offer this as one reason for the
present demand for purchasablc houses.
1t has been brought out that serious
problem faces families unable to buy
| the house they are living in when the
owner of that house sells il to a fam
| ily desirous of occupying it immedi-
ately.
you cannot blame property owner
! for selling a house when there are
people in the market willing to BUY,
said Edwin S. Hege, head of the room
| Gil. There is no question, however, but
| that this situation is adding to the
housing problem here.
There are people coming to Wash
/ ingtou now who are able to buy home
and when they find themselves unable
| to rent a house, they buy.
Congress Must Solve Problem.
Both Mr.. Hege and William H. Baldwin.
chairman of the local defense council.
agree that the only solution to the prob
lem is for Congress to provide housing
for its army of war clerks, in order to re-
lieve the strain on WaShington's normal
housing capacity.
The figures in the building inspectors
Office for the past few months deal a blow
at the hope of many that private capital
would meet the housing problem with
new dwellings.
hIri
out. to invest large sums in new home
building projects with the possibility of
having an oversupply of houses on their
hands when the war ends and Washing
tons population returns to normal.
The fact that building materials have
increased 40 per cent together with a
steady increase in the demand for labor
also are regarded as reasons for the slump
in home building.
Decrease in Apartment Building.
Only five permits have been issued for
apa rtrnent houses since last July. when
war workers began to flow into Wash
ington by the hundreds. In July there
was one, in August two. in October one
and last month one From July. 1916.
to February, 1917, % apartment houses
were erected, showing d decrease OF 20
apartment houses during the past eight
months from the corresponding period
of the previous fiscal year.
From July, 1917, until the end of Feb
ruary of this year 249 permits were is
sued for new dwellings,. From July,
1916, to the end of February. 1917. per-
mits were issued for gel new dwellings.
This is a decrease of Az new homes in
the past eight months.
Some idea of the low rate during the
last eight months is shown by the
monthly figures. In July last 80 permits
for dwellings were issued. In August
there was a slight rise to ~, then a
drop to 81 in September In October
there were 81 permits: in November. So,
and in December. IS In January of this
year only new homes were started
and in February. AS. This is an average
of less than one new house a day for
the past two months
In January, 1917, IS new homes were
started, or SO more than were started
this January. In February, 1917, 105
homes were started, or So more than
were begun this February.