The sun., 1919-06-01
HOUSING CRISIS
NOW AGITATING
ALL BIG CITIES
Slow to Resume Building of
Homes After the Stag
nation Due to War.
HIGH COSTS DETERRENT
Reports From Large Centres
of Population Throw Light
on Unusual Situation.
HIGH COSTS DETERRENT

A critical shortage OF homes in all
big cities and their suburbs . is re-
ported by correspondents Of THE SUN.
Some cities are more forward than
others in getting their inevitable
building programmes started, but few
have passed the expectation" stage.
The serious situation In New York to
which the Reconstruction Commission
and other agencies are now giving at
tention is duplicated proportionately
in other large Industrial centres.
Everywhere building contracts are
more numerous than they have been
at any time since the war put a qui-
etus on them but do not begin to meet
the demands of the clamoring popula-
tions.
As Illuminating a sidelight as any
comes from Milwaukee. The storage
warehouses OF that city are jammed.
Their space" says the correspondent.
is all occupied by furniture belong
Ing to persons who moved from one
Instead OF offers of houses to rent the
newspapers are filled with advertise
ments Offering bonuses of SIS to 325
for information which will make DOS
sible the rental Of house or fiat"
HiS Shortage In Larss Citiss.
Philadeiphia needs $4,000 houses and
cannot build more than 1000 this year.
Pttsburg is short from 10000 to $4,000
houses and sees no Immediate prospect
Of getting them. in Detroit Is, 900 fam
ilies are looking for roofs under which
to lay their heads, and their number Is
Increased by twenty-five families moy-
Ing into the city every day. In Cleveland
homes for $1,000 families would be oc-
cupied instantly II they were built.
Milwaukee needs 1000 new dwellings.
Chicago reports that the erection of
apartment houses is 80 per cent. below
that OF last year and Sc per cent. below
that OF 1917. The building of separate
dwellings has trebled but is far from
catching up with the requirements.
Everywhere outside OF New York the
greatest untitled demand is for small
detached houses. Several cities report
tnat a fair number of very expensive
ana very cheap apartments are to be
had. but nothing between those ex-
tremes. Unable to find homes of their
own. great many families have fiocked
to boarding houses. lodging houses and
hotels In Detroit they are resorting
to tents and even to old box cars
Everywhere a building boom Is ex-
pected. but In few places has It mate
rialized. Detroit seems TO be nearest
to 1t. Building permits there are now
averaging more than $1,000. 900 weekly.
The Community Housing Corporation,
with 100000 capital, has been Or
ganized with the cooperation of the
Mayor to assist in the financing.
Labor Costs Are Increasing.
| In Cleveland the workmen of the build
Ing trades got 10 per cent. wage in
crease on May /. Pittsburg is expect
| ing to grant the same advance. There is
small hope for builders who are holding
OFT In the expectation that the labor cost
| will go down.
| In way St. Louis is more fortunate
| than some other cities The war found
| II with a good many buildings vacant.
Apartment house construction during
the war pretty well kept up with the
needs and the city had its empty houses
! to fill up before feeling real pain from
| congestion.
! The reasons for the unprecedented state
ol diairs All over the country are the
same that New York knows. Building
| stopped during the war because the Gov
ernment requested It and because prices
were high and labor and materials Inn
possible to get Now prices for ma
| terials and labor are higher than ever
Builders are holding OF to see II prices
are going down. Banks and other lend
ing institutions do not see In mortgages
profitable investment, one reason being
that mortgages are subject to the In
ccme tax. However. New York lending
| companies seem disposed to be more
generous than those of certain other cit
les Some OF them have agreed to lend
up to go per cent OF the money required
| by home builders who borrow from the
proposed $1,000, 900 housing corporation
projected by the Reconstruction Commfs-
Continued on Eleventh Pd0e.)