Evening star., 1943-01-30
New Standards
On War HOUSING
Seen as Aid
Problem SimpIified for
Private Finance,
Says BIundford

John B. Blandford, jr.. admins
traitor of the National Housing
Agency, today predicted that con-
struction of privately financed hous-
ing this year will be greatly facili-
tated by revisions in war housing
construction standards recently
worked out" by the War Production
Board and the MIA.
While maintaining necessary en-
phasis on strict economy in use of
critical war materials, the revised
standards will simplify the problem
of adjusting the established build
ing practice of the private building
industry with the needs of the war
housing program, Mr.. Blandford
said,
From the standpoint of prospec-
tive war-Worker occupants of new
private war housing projects, one of
the most important changes in the
areas comparing favorably with the
dimensions of a large proportion of
the low-cost housing previously built.
construction standards is the in
crease of 10 to Is per cent in maxi
mum floor area, permitting floor
Assist Builders.
These larger floor areas will also
assist private builders in planning
acceptable, livable projects within
the limitations of the war housing
construction standards. Analysis of
q representative sample of private
war housing projects submitted for
preference rating purposes during
the period prior to the effective date
Of the original war housing stand
ards on October % indicates that
approximately three-fourths of these
projects could qualify under the re-
vised standards insofar as floor
area is concerned, whereas less than
half would have been acceptable
under the October % standards.
Another aid to builders in the re-
vised standards is the removal of the
ban on use of softwood finished
flooring or of softwood sub-f1ooring
Similarly, the regions in which wood
frame construction may be used
have been expanded. Procedures
have also been simplified by elimi-
mating heating provisions from the
war housing construction standards
and supplanting these provisions by
the war housing critical list which
governs the types and quantities of
critical materials which may be pur-
chased through WPB preference
rating orders.
Multi-Family Construction.
The revised standards continue to
specify construction of multi-family
or row structures rather than single
family detached houses on sites
where the essential utilities are not
contiguous to the lot. However, this
requirement Is waived in cases where
the other types of dwelling units
would require total use of a greater
quantity of critical material or
where the war housing program can
not be fulfilled when needed by
other types of dwelling units.
In conjunction with the recent
assignment of AA-3 preference rat
ing orders to both private and pub
lie war housing projects by the War
Production Board, the revision of
the war housing construction stand
ards extends important assistance
to the private home building in
dustry in producing it's share of the
war housing program for l943, Mr..
Blandford declared.
Private builders, he pointed out,
are being called upon to produce
substantially all of the dwelling
units permanently needed which
have been scheduled by the Ma
tfonal Housing Agency for 1s43. BY
the end of 1912 private builders had
completed 169,362 dwelling units
under WPB preference rating orders,
In addition to considerable num-
Der built in the critical housing
areas without priorities assistance
during the fourth quarter of 1941
and the first quarter of 1912. Con-
struction of 1892 additional units is
currently in progress, while approxi-
mately 10000 units remain to be
started under the national quota al
located for private war housing by
the War Production Board.