Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-06-04
SHORTAGE Of HOMES ALL OVER
COUNTRY BUT BUILDING WORK
IS STARTED ONALARGES SCALE
Many Cities, Like Perth Amboy, Have Grown IndustriaIIy,
While Housing Has Not Kept Up With Them-Big In
crease Now In Building at Many Different Points.

According to a recent survey a crf-
Hcal shortage Of homes in practically
al the cities in the East and Middle
West Is n situation facing the hous-
ing conditions of today. Everywhere
building contracts are more numer-
ous than they nave been at any
time since the war put a quietus on
them, but do not begin to meet with
h demands of the overcrowded pop
nlation.
An instance of the need for i'm
mediate building from Milwau-
kee. In that city the warehouses are
being damned. Philadelphia needs
over $4,000 homes, while Pittsburgh
is short about half that amount.
But the best news hat came as a
result of the housing survey is that
building on a large scale, is we'll I'M
derway. In Detroit there Is a mon
sfer building boom in progress and
many homes and apartments are be-
ing completed weekly. Building per-
mits there are averaging more thar
$1.O00.000 weekly. The Community
Housing Corporation has been organ
lied and the city government is CO.
operating with the project.
The housing problem and the rent
question has become the latest ma
lady in this country. Although there
always has been problems of a like
nature, II a never beef as serious
and as vexing as the present one.
The question is a burning one not
only in this country. but also in other
countries. The production of houses
mas been far below normal for the
past few years as a result of war
causes. Although it is comparatively
new In thas country. England has
been graphing with the housing
problem for h past fifty years. She
ass t~riea~every kind of scheme. Her
cities and towns built municipal ten
ements. Manufacturers have built
garden cities. But It remained for
the war to bring England face to
face with the fact that you cannot
get b maximum production from
ruen unless o give them the maxi
mum amount of comfort at home.
New plants sprang up all over the
country, and then it was discovered
that there was no place for the work
men TO live. Result. production fell
on to an alarming extent. England
doggedly, then went TO work build
Ing. She spent millions in building
houses with the result that it was
the greatest production Of the war.
Now that the war is over, England
again has a housing shortage of
100000. She is preparing to pass a
law by which the nation will snbsl
uizt the Duifui1B Oh smal homes. |
The housing problem anywhere,
depends On the and problem. There
cannot be a permanent cure for
housing conditions unless land condi-
lions are stabilized. Housing condi-
lions cannot be left to chance or to
spectators.
The City slid Suburban Homes
company OF Brooklyn is the most cor
s~picuous example in the United States
of a company engaged in the build
ing and management OF improved
homes for wage 1t houses
over $4,000 in it's various properties;
the companies best work lies in the
demonstration of the commercial sue
cess of the plan. The experimental
stage In this demonstration has pass
ed and the company has emerged
therefrom to occupy a unique posi-
ton. On April 3. this company offered
for sale to the tenants occupying
them, 136 houses. Within a weeks
time 100 of these were taken by the
tenants. and in another week the re-
manning t~hirty-six were sold to out
Gdders.
To a tenant who had been paying
&26 a month. the house he occupied
vas sold for $4,000. payable over a