Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-07-19
REALTY DATAB|G
AID TO HOUSING
Federal Administration 10
Use Elaborate Informal
ton Of National Survey.
BY VINCENT TUTCHING.

Armed with comprehensive statistics
collected by the Commerce Depart
ment on the condition of the Nations
real estate. the Federal Housing Ad-
ministration will proceed with its
country wide property rehabilitation
and rebuilding program with foun-
dation of knowledge on the subject
never before assembled
Offcials OF the F. H. A. said the
figures compiled by the Bureau of
Foreign and Domestic Commerce, as
well as those OF the Central Statistical
Board would be utilized 10 the fullest
in working out its broad program Of
modernization. repair and new con-
struction.
During the opening months OF the
r. H. A. activity stress will be laid on
property modernization and improve
ment. Housing Administrator Moffett
declared. with other features of the
housing act involving the insurance
of mortgage loans on new houses
being developed secondarily.
Building Shortage Serious.
THE building shortage in this
country represents a greater volume Of
work than was required TO restore the
devastated regions OF France and
Belgium after the war" Moffett de-
clared. THE home improvement pro-.
gram which We are starting first I'M
doubtedly will bring a great increase
in employment"
Mr.. Moffett is studying the report
OF the Commerce Department on its
Nationwide real property inventory.
OF particular interest to the housing
administrator is the revelation that
1876 per cent OF the dwelling units of
the country need structural repairs
and AT per cent require minor re-
pairs of some description. The figures
are based on SO cities. and tabulations
are not complete on five others.
The study did not cover Washing
ton, but complete survey of realty
here was conducted by James Ring,
special assistant to the Public Utili-
| ties Commission. with C. w. A. funds
| prior to the Commerce Departments
I inventory. While the survey covered
every piece Of real estate In the Dis
trict, funds ran out before the find
| ings could be tabulated. Ring is
| hopeful that means will be found soon
| to recapltulate these important sta
tistics so that a comprehensive pic
ture Of Washington's real estate might
be made available.
I.sII,462 Dwelling Units.
The Commerce Departments survey
covered 1914 dwelling units In
/. 1888 ,49l separate structures. II Is
the first study OF its kind ever made,
and efforts are understood to be UNI
! der consideration by real estate boards
and similar organizations throughout
the country to perpetuate 1t.
John Dickinson, Acting Secretary
Of Commerce. in announcing the re-
suits Of the study, said Is per cent Of
all the housing units examined we're
overcrowded, while in more than Z
| per cent of the cases, there was an
actual doubling up Of families. A to-
tai Of 234 per cent were shown to be
UNIT for habitation
In view OF the fact that the Ga cit
les covered by the inventory we're
carefully selected in an effort to re-
| fleet national conditions" Dickinson
| said, II think we are safe in assum-
ing from the percentages given for So
cities that there Is an obvious dearth
OF small homes and the average Amer
lean citizen today has by no means
lost his traditional interest In In
dividual home ownership.
1T also seems safe to assume from
the statistics showing crowded and
overcrowded conditions, the need of
structural repairs, both major and
minor, the substantial number of
dwellings which are considered unit,
and the opportunity for better sani.
tary facilities. that a great many de-
serving citizens are in q position to
benefit from the efforts of the admin
istration to aid the small home owners
and renters by loans for building and
remodeling through the new Housing
Administration"
Figures on Sanitation.
Dickinson's reference to improving
sanitary conditions were based on the
following figures:
n-and-two-tenths per cent were
without running water, total Of 1884,
478 houses and apartments; 370278
units, or 20.4 per cent. had no private
indoor water closets, and 479 900
units, or 25.5 per cent, had no tubs
or showers.
| AS to the crowded conditions of
homes, 1859 .294 families were found
living in l,725,2l2 dwelling units. or
these, 1876, 082 were extra families oc4
cupying quarters with other families.
This means that 78 per cent of the
total number of families enumerated
are doubling up" and have no sep
arate homes Of their own.
Entries in The Stars 81 900 Better
Homes Contest are rolling up rapidly
as the closing date for the COMPETE
tion-September l5-draWS closer
Civic groups pushing the movement
are springing into renewed activity
! spurred by developments in Govern
| ment circles designed to aid in the
work of effecting home Improvements.
1 Awards in the contest are to be
| made on the basis of merit alone,
which prizes divided in two groups,
for homes valued at Sl2 900 and less,
and for homes appraised above
$4,000. In each class, the awards
are: First prize, $3.50; second prize,
$780, third prize, $50, and four
honorable-mention prizes of $25 each.
The Board Of Trade is contributing g
special 500 landscaping prize. -