Evening star., 1943-05-01

123,50O Units
OF War HOUSING
147,000 Are Begun
In First Quarter of
'43, MIA Reveals

Approximately 123,500 new war
housing units were completed and
made available for war workers dur
ing the first quarter of this year
and 147,000 units were placed under
construction, National Housing Ad-
ministrator John B. Blandford, jr.,
announced today.
This represented an increase of
more than Is per cent over the last
quarter of 1912 in number of COM
pletions and of more than 60 per
cent in the number of units started,
Mr.. Blandford said.
The report reflected a sharp &C
celeration in starts under the pub
licly financed phase of the program,
which includes dormitory units and
trailers, as well as family accom-
modations in. new structures. All
but minor percentage of the pub
licly financed war housing started
during recent months represents
temporary construction, scheduled
for dismantling after the war.
Private Building Up.
Privately financed construction
was at relatively low levels during
January and February, but recently
has shown an uptrend, Mr.. Bland
ford reported. In March about
1880 privately financed family
units were started, and further ex-
pansion is indicated by the recent
trend of applications for FILA mort
gage insurance on proposed war
housing projects.
Between March l and April II
applications involving 28,840 pro-
posed dwelling units for war workers
were filed with FHA Neld offices, the
highest average weekly rate since
May, 1912. At least IS per cent of
all privately financed war housing is
now covered by mortgage insurance
written by the Federal Housing Ad-
ministration. one of the operating
units of the National Housing
Agency.
In the first quarter builders start
ed construction of $1,000 privately
financed family units and completed
30,500 units.
Publicly financed construction put
under contract during the quarter
involved 10000 units, including
10000 family units, $1,000 dormitory
units and 5000 trailers. Construc-
ton was completed during the quar-
ter on $4,000 units, including $4,000
family units, $1,000 dormitory units
and 1000 trailers. Almost all pub
licly financed war housing is now
developed by the Federal Public
Housing Authority, another operat-
ing unit of the MIA.
Local Quotas Set.
Construction of war housing is
carried out under local quotas es-
tablished by the MIA on the basis
of labor migration data supplied by
the War Manpower Commission. In
order to save critical materials, no
new housing is authorized in local
tiles where the commission finds
that Immigration of war labor is
unnecessary or where sufficient &C
commodations are available in ex-
listing structures, or through CONVEX
sions. to house incoming essential
workers.
Occupancy of war housing prof.
ects is restricted to eligible war
workers as defined by the MIA in
consultation with the War Produc-
ton Board and the War Manpower
Commission.
In developing its local war hous-
Ing quotas, the MIA schedules pri-
vately- financed construction if the
need is for family accommodations
which can be permanently absorbed
by the community and if the pri-
vate builders can meet necessary
wartime requirements. To the ex-
tent that private financing cannot
meet the need because of occupancy
conditions or temporary construc-
ton, the MIA specifies Government
financing, and the projects are built
by private contractors under Gov
ernment contract