The Coolidge examiner. [volume] (Coolidge, Ariz.) 1930-current, 1939-02-23
Private Enterprise
Enters Field of
Low Cost Homes

Private enterprise, after months
of study and preparation, today
opened the door to a new era in low
cost housing in announcing the de-
velopment OF individual. detached
dwellings that will be made avail
able to buyers at a cost of from
30 cents to dollar day.
Making public for the first time
details of their 1889 National Small!
Homes Demonstration, the National
Lumber Manufacturers Association
and the National Retail Lumber
Dealers Association, co-sponsors of
the program, revealed two basic
house designs with a dozen archi-
tectural variations have been de-
veloped at an estimated construc-
ton cost from $4,000 to $4,000.
The two designs include a. one
story house, containing living room.
two bedrooms, kitchen and bath.
and a two-story dwelling with liv-
ing room dining room and kitchen
on the first floor and two bedroom:
and bath on the second floor A
built-in garage is included in the
latter plan.
In developing these low-cost
homes, the two associations sought
and obtained the cooperation OF
lesding manufacturers of building
materials and equipment. conferred
with housing research foundations,
prominent architects. home eco
nomists and building experts. The
objective was to tackle the problem
OF providing an ideal, modern and
livable home for the family able
to pay only from IS to $40 per
month per room.
Commenting on the results or
their work. Don A. Campbell. presi-
dent of the National Retail Lumber
Dealers Association, whose $4,000
members all over the country are
banding together to push this low
cost home program in local COM
munities. said:
Private industry has been ac-
cused of being unable to build
adequate shelter for the ill housed
third of the nation. 1t has been the
excuse used by the Federal Govern
ment to invade this field with sub
sidized operations that have failed
miserably to solve the problem.
And costly experiments in the field
of housing continue to spread at the
expense of the American taxpayers.
in accepting the challenge, we
claim that private industry can pro-
duce better housing at lesser cost
than can the Government under
existing Federal schemes. Our
answer Is the 1889 National Small
Homes Demonstration, a cooperat-
i've undertaking lof the building
industry, by which we hope to
demonstrate in hundreds OF com
munities all over the land that low
cost housing is possible under local
private sponsorship-and it is a
class OF housing far superior to
anything yet developed for those
In the low-income brackets"
The undertaking was described
by James G. McNary. president of
the National Lumber Manufacturers
Association, as one which should
prove a boon to sadly neglect
ed" group of the country's popula-
ton. He said:
There has been no adequate
product readily available heretofore
which the mass Of the people
the lower income families-could
afford. We now find ourselves with
backlog of demand for better
housing at lower cost, and We be-
lisve We must have the answer to
that demand"
From their Washington head
quarters. the two associations today
launched a concerted campaign
through their state and regional
affiliates to further the construc-
ton of demonstration dwellings in
loca, communities, to pave the way
for widespread construction Of low
cost homes in sections where the
need is apparent.