Evening star., 1943-10-16
10 Million New Homes
Needed After War,
Burns Tells Builders

fIltB b. Burns, president OF the
National Association of Home Build
ers. last night said the group will
stand ready to throw its entire
weight into postwar building and
meet the new challenge OF helping
millions Of Americans find their way
back to normal peacetime living"
He spoke at the meeting Of the
local home builders section at the
Chamber Of Commerce, and said
builders are faced with completing
. wartime job and then planning
for the future reconstruction pro-
gram. He estimated there is q stand
Ing demand for at least 10000 900
new homes to be built after the war.
Cleaning up the balance Of war
housing Is our immediate Job and
must have our continued co-opera-
tion," he said. More than ever be-
fore, construction Of war housing
must be done quickly, or its prin-
cipal value will be lost and will fail
to help meet the demand for war
materials so necessary to our armed
forces overseas.
Home builders and Government
agencies must work side by side CO.
operatively in carrying out the bal
ance Of the war job. 1t is gratifying
to note the cooperation indicated
on the part of Government agencies,
whose representatives only recently
met with the Emergency Committee
of the National Association of Home
Builders, In order to short cut paper
work, eliminate unnecessary steps,
and speed up the processing ofwar
housing procedures" he said.
The private builder is not seeking
business as usual. He recognizes that
the housing Of war workers is ap-
preaching its final stage and that
these final stages are becoming the
critical stages. The private builder
seeks only to complete this job ex-
peditiously. No longer can the build
er perform by reason of his ingenu-
ity and resourcefulness, plus NOM
tnal governmental assistance.
With inventories completely dried
up and normal resources of material
Increasingly difficult, upratings of
priorities, at least for certain ma
terials, are absolutely necessary. Pri-
vate home builders who, through
their persistence and initiative have
thus far done the major portion of
war housing. will need close CO.
operation from Government agencies
In order to finish the job.
sfyUith er1rrapf 1oh4r or,
existing In certain war production
plants, housing must be built in
these new centers so as to induce
occupancy. They must be attractive
to the possible reluctant Immigrant
worker, the worker who has thus
far been difficult to persuade to en-
ter war industries. Housing that is
inducive to occupancy will also serve
to stabilize the labor market and
reduce turnover. II labor turnover
can be substantially reduced in war
plants, we will have gone long way
toward relieving current labor con-
ditions." he added.
TT is too soon to 90 more than !
plan, but plan We must, and now.
With the relaxation Of L-4l. build
ers Of the Nation will be re-ener-
gized and stimulated into launching
their great Rebuilding America"
program for those in every walk of
life, with every sized income. We
must begin now. to plan for tomor-
rows refiow Of building and con-
struction materials back into nor
NAL postwar channels. We must
complete our program now, and pri-
vate builders throughout the country
must be cognizant to their role Of
full participation in meeting the call
for over 100000 postwar homes"
Mr.. Burns declared,