Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-06-08
HOME BUILDING
ENCOURAGED BY
HOUSE EXHIBITS
One Fourth Nations PopuIace
Renters and Not Proper
ly Housed.
NEED 100000 HOMES

into determined home owners, and Is now
on its way to various other cities.
1t consists of a whole miniature sub
urb, reproduced in elaborate detail, in
Guiding many different types of attractive
homes, set Off by tiny gardens and dig
nified by that boon of the landscape
gardener-the tall and stately cedar.
Nothing is lacking in the way of homely
realism, from the latest thing in laundry
tubs to the best type Of rambler rose for
the front veranda. All that goes Into
the making of the modern American
horae--as well as much that doesnt-is
there before the dazzled gaze Of the home
seeker, to say nothing of the homes
themselves. There are severe, little
stucco houses; quaint little frame
dwellings, large and pretentious brick
houses-a wide selection to choose from.
All are reproductions of prize winning
designs from a recent national small
house contest, which was held under the
auspices of the American Institute Of
Architects, and in which a thousand
architects took part A nationally known
architectural jury selected twenty nine
designs in three classes 0umber, brick
and stucco and back plastered- metal
Iath) for prizes totaling $4,000 The
awards were governed principally by
the economy of space shown in the floor
plans, and preference was given to de-
signs that would be reasonable in up
keep and reduce general operating ex-
penses to a minimum.
For the exposition is designed to reach
the great mass of small home builders.
1t strives to show the man with only
small amount of capital how he can build
a comfortable, thoroughly up-to-date
house at a surprisingly low cost, and thus
escape exorbitant rent.
Home building is not only desirable
now, IT is a necessity, the organizers Of
the exposition point out According to
Robert H Sexton, its managing director,
the national dwelling shortage at the
close of last year was placed at the APP
pslling figure of 100000. "In normal
times" he says, 1.-The United States builds
between $50, 900 and 100000 family dws'l-
ings each year. In 1910 only $4,000 such
dwellings were erected, and in 1920 but
65. 900 were reported One-fourth of the
population is either living in rented quar-
ters or is improperly housed, The couD-
try is 100000 homes short"
EFFECTS OF
HOUSING SHORTAGE.
This situation, the home building pro
motors declare, is menace to the Nation
from two important aspects. First it has
a deleteriOus effect upono the public
health. In New York a recent oousing
survey brought to light many instances
where families Of twelve and fifteen mem
| bers were living crowded together in one
and two rooms. The public health de
partments Of other cities report n similar
state of affairs. Nor is overcrowling
confined to so-called slum districts; it is
also found to prevail among he middle
| classes.
The scarcity Of homes likewise breeds
discomfort, it is pointed out, and keeps
a large part of the population restless
and rowing whereas for the good If the
Nation it should be quietly housed. The
homeless citizen. who drifts from one
community to another is seen 10 Re
| possible source of social and political
disorder
THE Government is beginning to
realize that homeless citizens and fam
lies, rich and poor, are not usually the
best American citizens" says Mr.. Sex
| ton. 1T is beginning to realize that
every additional home owner makes an
additional credit possibility to the Ma
! tons wealth and an additional urge for
all other forms OF permanent construc-
ion" In other words, Mr.. Sexton be-
Iieves the Government is coming around
to the Chestertonian belief that under
the system of private property, every citi-
zen should be a private property owner.
Just what the Government intends to
do about it, however, still remains
mystery. 1t is known to have acquired
vast reams of information upon the sub
iect: to have been deep in the consid
Grafton Of public health reports on hous-
ing conditions and financial reports con-
corning mortgages and loans, as well as
REPORTS on rent increases in various
cities; but the Nation still awaits home
run from Congress. Senators Calder,
Edge and Kenyon have made their i'm
portant recommendations, but as yet
nothing has come of them
CITY BUILDING
PROJECTS.
Meanwhile various cities have attempt
ed relief measures. 4 few have them
selves gone into the home building bust
ness for the benefit of the public, while
others have placed restrictive measures
upon profiteering landlords. New York
has made things as pleasant as possible
for the home building public by exempt
ing its property from taxes for the next
five years.
But. for the most part, the would be
home owner is left to solve his difficult
ties for himself. He can either build
house at the present high cost of build
ing materials, knowing that eventually
that price must come down. or he can
nav an exorbitant rent for a house which
he never will, and probably wouldn't
want to, own. In one case, he buys
stock that is certain to go down; in the
other he pays a large rate of interest on
stock that belongs to some one else. OF
the two alternatives building seems to
offer the better returns.
Take for instance, a house which costs
S6,545, including the price of the lana.
If rented the owner would demand 10
per cent profit on his investment, which
would make the monthly rental $S164.
I'm New York a house of this value would
bring 500 a monthly Now the home
builder has only 1890 invested in his
property. He must pay interest on the
mortgage in addition to the taxes, but
altogether his entire carrying charges
come to just $33 month. In building
he saved nearly $50 a month, which
would have gone to a landlord had the
house been occupied on rental basis.
One of the greatest deterrents to home
building ON a nation wide scale, of
course is the inability of a large num-
Der of citizens to obtain the necessary
capital. They are perfectly willing to
build homes, long to do so, in fact, but
they cannot even begin to pay for the
lumber. To these eager but thwarted
Gown our Own Homers," perhaps the
building and loan association is the best
answer.
h. Z, - L., i