The Sauk Centre herald., 1938-08-18
Need Low Rental AS
Well As Good
Modern Homes
CHANCES CITED
Only One Home Under
Construction In City
This Year

dwellings, is facing a critical
housing condition.
Virtually a saturation point has
been reached in which the demand
now past the leveling point, for
homes in this city is "heelstepping''
the slow-paced building trend.
While the demand seems to be
largely for low rental houses, there
is need too for good modern homes
for Mr.. and Mrs. Average Sauk Cen
treite.
Crux of the situation was brought
to the focal point of attention
strongly this summer with real
estate agents booming buying hous-
es, literally besieged daily with calls
to secure rental houses.
Temporary retreats, showing the
need for more homes over the past
few years, have come with the de-
preston.
Tendency toward small families
has given rise to a demand for
apartments, fewer room dwellings
Temporary needs have been met
with a dividing arrangement in old
er, larger houses, finishing upstairs
rooms over business houses for
these groups.
Cottage owners along Sauk
Lakes shore, seeing the pressing de-
mand, filled the need by more mod
ernizing features in these cabins
enticed people to spend summer
months at the lake. retreating from
the city.
Largely the condition can be
traced to splurges Of a rolling, tran.
sient population brought about by
changing economic conditions
Which means influx of many low
income families, demanding lower
rental homes. Charged to the hous.
ing shortage is this continuous in.
flux and exodus of families creating
an ever-circulating demand for rem.
tai residences.
Basis for this argument Is sup.
ported from records of movements
among residential telephone sub.
scribers during the year 1887 in this
city. 166 address changes were nee.
essitiated in issuing the directory
last fall. A checkup revealed that
about fifty Of those changes could
be charged to new families to the
city, similar amount to those who
moved from the city, and the re
mainder were contributed to the
perennial restlessness that sends
populations scurrying about the city
seeking new places to live.
At glance the situation revolve'
around the premise: the old, stead
ier flow of permanent dweller IL
gone. Instead is greater amount
Of floating population, caused BY
economic conditions, who are Great
ing an ever-circulating demand fol
homes, while the supply of Saul
Centre dwellings has remained
nearly constant.
That the old steady flow Of perm
anent residents into the city Is gone
is supported by U. s. figures. II
1910 to 1920 Sank Centre grew from
2154 to 2699. But in the following
decade the growth was only 2699 t.
2716. It's reasonable to suppose
that the gain In the near-decadt
since 1880 has been no greater.
While the Water, Light and Pow
er Commission has noted greater
movement among its residential US
ers in recent years, still its users
are not in larger numbers. Tht
facts are that in March, 1884, resi-
Dental light users numbered 6S7
In November, 1885, the number wal
633, and strangely in March, 1888
the number was again exactly 6S3.
Figures, as shown, in the move
ment among telephone subscribers
as a basis for argument, while they
show great movement and change
reveal little net gain in permanent
population.
So 1t would seem that the hous
ing shortage is not because Saul
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