Evening star., 1937-08-21
HOME BUILDING
is CATCHING UP
For First Time in Six Years
New Residences Exceed
Population Growth.

SPECIAL DlSpa ltIl W lllt pboA'
MINNEAPOLIS. August 2l.-For the
first time in six years, new homes
built in 3lO leading American cities IN
1896 exceeded the requirements OF
estimated population increases IN
those cities, E. E. Crabb, executive
vlce-president of Investors Syndicate
Of Minneapolis, revealed today. The
cities included IN the survey contained
more than one-third of the Country'S
population. Mr. Crabb said.
Presidential construction in these
80 cities last year provided housing
for 49l ,608 people or for % per cent
more than the 483, 757 estimated popu-
lation gain in this group of cities
during 1886" said Crabb, in comment
ing on the survey, These 80 cities,
located in 4l States and the District
of Columbia, constitute an accurate
index to the national home building
situation
However. a substantial housing
deficit continues to exist IN these
cities. because for the six year period.
1891 to 1885 inclusive, new residential
construction was sufficient to take care
OF only 1453.792 people, or 62.33 per
cent of the estimated population gain
Of 2.33244l There must also be taken
into account further shortage created
by destruction of homes by fire, flood
and normal rate of obSolescence.'
More People Get Homes.
The survey shows that new houses
put up in 1885 in the 3lO cities
studied provided shelter for more
people than in any one year since
1880, when 5l9l92 people were fur
nished new homes Residential con-
struction in these cities IN 1880 fur
nshed housing for 33 per cent OF all
people provided for in the next SIX
years, 1876. combined. The extent
during 1886 is indicated by the fact
that persons housed we're 947 per
cent of the people provided with new
housing in 1880 Also persons pro-
vided with new housing last year
increased 1865 per cent over the
50 ,OSO ltLdl uttL Aii- 4JOJ
One of the interesting features of
this national housing survey said
Crabb. was the relation of the cost
Of new housing per person in 1885
and in 1880. Despite the huge gain
IN the volume of homebullding last
year, and the rise in building costs for
both materials and men-the latter
being occaSioned by pronounced short
ages of skilled labor in some places
the per capita cost of new homes of
sl.0l9 was 1913 per cent less than the
fll35.89 figure in 1890
Residential construction in the 3l0
cities during 1886 approNmared S499,-
1856, an increase of S277572 522, or
1858 per cent over that of 1885
Value of new homes built last year
was the highest in any one year since
1880, when they aggregated $3.50 748,-
45a or 1874 per cent greater than in
1886.
Volume Of Building Fluctuates
The volume OF home building, as
measured by the number Of persons
pIUNluSu lpl anu lIIS NdIut Va itSl-
dental construction. fuctuated wide
ly during the last six years The low
point in number of homes was reached
in 1884 when new housing provided
for only 1896 people Cost of new
housing also reached a low point in
1884 at S78 59282l.
After reaching a low level of
s37426 IN 1884. new housing costs per
person have since risen steadily Mr.
Crabb pointed out, They we're
so3O82 ~ 1885. an increase of 6.46
per cent over those in 1884 Last
year, at Sl,ol9, they were up e5 per
cent over 1885 levels"
Home builders throughout the ma
zion generally class 1880 as a nor
NAL" building year Therefore it was
used as the base year for this survey.
Population of the 310 cities in the
survey, according to the 1880 census,
was 47,034 962 United States Gov
eminent estimates of the 1886 pop
ulation for the same group of cities
showed total of 48 883 .646, net in
crease over the 1880 figure of 2.332.-
AL, or 1876 per cent The 3lO cities
contain 1888 per cent of the coun-
try's total population.