Imperial Valley press., 1942-04-22
CAPITAL TALKS
by
Peter
Edison

WASHINGTON. April 81 - How
housing authorities go about de-
termining how many and wha
kind of shelter to build in a COM
munity that experiences a boon
due to rapidly expanding war in
dustry makes one of the more re-
vealing sidelights on the intricate
detail somebody has to think about
in a well-run country, to take care
of civilians.
Take a typical case of new
aircraft parts plant to employ
say 5000 workers. From pro-
duction standpoint, city of
100000 or so, where there is
available power, transportation
and proximity to not only raw
materials but also TO the final
assembly plants, is chosen. The
purely manufacturing aspects
having been settled, the labor
supply problem comes next and
right with it, the problem of
sheltering workers. This is
where the fun begins.
First. the labor force must be
analyzed for Skills. How many ma
chinistS machine operators, semi
skilled workers, common laborerS
men and women, married and
single will be needed next? What
will their pay be? Pay scales de-
termine the amount workers can
pay for rent or towards purchase
of a home of their own.
The next step is to look at the
local labor supply. How man, are
unemployed now? Say 1000. How
many have the right skills to work
in this new 5000man plant? Say
1000. That will leave 1000 in-mi-
grants to be supplied.
How many of these 1000 in-mi-
grants can be sheltered in existing
dwellings? How many vacancies
are there - houses, apartments.
rooms for sale or for rent-and
how many are suitable for these
new citizens? Assume 100 vacant
housing units are revealed in this
survey That would leave 5000 to
be supplied.
How permanent is this plant
to be? Will it keep going after
the war, will il cut down so
per cent, or is it purely de-
Tense plant that will shut down
completely the day peace
comes? The answer is import
ant, for it will determine whe-
Their this new housing is to be
permanent or temporary con-
structiOn.
Then comes a survey OF the To-
cal building and real estate circles
How much housing can private
capital supply? Will the local banks
help finance new housing? Real
Estate Board and Builders Ex-
change have to figure on this, too
Marie they'll do it all, and may
be they'll balk at the whole idea
figuring this new construction will
over-build the community, driving
rents down after the war is over.
In most cases. private building
interests can handle part of the
job usually providing houses and
apartments that will rent to higher
paid workers. Fer low income
groups, government Su b sidized
housing often has to provide the
shelter. Suppose the split is $3.50.
That means the government must
provide in this typical, mythical
case some 1900 units. perhaps half
to be permanent half to be temp
orarT, some dormitories for single
workers, the rest family units.
Then comes the battle of To-
cations. Where will the city
permit the new housing to go
up so that it won't compete
with housing already available?
If the location s on the other
side of the tracks, what about
public utilities-sewers, streets,
schools, hospitals, shopping ia
cilities? The municipality may
be broke and taxpayers unwilI-
ing to assume another bond
issue. The federal government
has to foot the bill i'm that case.
All these housing headaches are
no exaggera ton Every defense or
war housing project must by law
be approved by the President. Get
ting all this data ready for sub
mission to the White House means
that the Federal Public Housing
Authority must prepare careful
anal'ses and surveys with their
recommendations These are known
technically as LPR's- Local Pro-
ject Reports.
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