Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-12-05
Home Bui|dino
Costs Up 1877
In Two Years
Maintaining Repairs
Cited as Duty Under
War Conditions

A 5 per cent increase in the cost
OF construction for a standard six
room home during the year ending
IN October, as compared with a 10
per cent rise during the preceding
~ months, was reported today by
the National Housing Agency. 1t
was noted there was no labor cost
increase during October and that
materials rose less than one-tenth
OF l per cent.
Meanwhile with new construction
severely curtailed under the war
housing program, Federal Housing
Commissioner Abner H. Ferguson
today called attention to the need of
maintaining the supply of existing
home properties in "a sound, habit
able condition"
Trends in the total construction
cost figures for individual cities
varied considerably during the
three-mon period from August to
October. Seven of the cities report
ing indicated increases in costs, six
indicated no change and four
showed decreases.
Materials Index 1915.
The Federal Home Loan Bank
Administration, a unit of the Ma
tlonal Housing Agency, reported
that its index of material prices for
october showed figure of 1915, as
compared with the 1885, 1899 base of
100. The labor cost index of 1902.
while the combined material and
labor figure was 1245.
Wholesale building material prices
showed no change during October.
Slight increases were indicated in
the wholesale prices of lumber and
paint and paint materials, but these
were offset by decline in the
miscellaneous items" group.
Because of the urgent need for
conserving critical materials for di-
rect war production purposes new
home building has been restricted to
war industry areas, and there only
IN such numbers as is absolutely
necessary to meet the housing needs
OF essential workers, Mr.. Ferguson
said.
80 NAS" Va t4ASoS lCIlulS, IL Is
all the more imperative that the
present supply of existing homes be
kept in sound repair, providing
decent standards of sanitation and
health" Mr. Ferguson stated. For
the great majority of American
families, these properties represent
the only housing that will be avail
able for the duration"
Quick Action Urged.
The best method for protecting
these properties is immediate at
tention to all essential repairs, re-
CARELESS of how small or unim-
portant they may appear. When
undertaken promptly, work of this
kind usually requires the outlay of
comparatively small sums. When
permitted to go unattended even the
smallest job may develop into an
expensive repair bill.
Under the War Production Boards
construction conservation order
L-41, maintenance and essential re-
pairs that do not change structural
design are permitted without au-
thorlzatlon, PROVIDED the work does
not involve the purchase of critical
materials.
Loans to finance essential repairs
may be secured under the FILA
Title I program in amounts up to
$4,000 from qualified private lend
ing institutions. Such loans are re-
paid in regular monthly payments
and are subject to the installment
credit rules of the Federal Reserve
Boards regulation w.
Also available under Title I are
loans to finance the conversion of
oil-burning heating equipment to
the use of coal, as we'll as improve
ments reducing oil consumption
though insulation, weather strip
(See COSTS, Page B-3)