Evening star., 1943-01-09
War Housinu
Conference 10
Be Held Here
Privote Builders Plan
To Seek Assurances
On New Program

An emergency conference seeking
assurances from the Government
that private builders may proceed
with confidence to produce $4,000
units Of needed war housing for
which priorities have been sched-
uled will be held here January 1s
and 10 in the Mayfiower Hotel, it
was announced today.
Called by the National Associa-
ton of Home Builders, the confer
ence will include parleys with rank
Ing officials OF Federal agencies con-
cerned with the war housing pro-
gram. Also participating will be
members of the Home Builders
Emergency Committee.
In announcing the meeting. called
by Fritz Burns, president of NAHB,
1t was declared that war housing
construction is in temporary stale
mate, with the builders lacking con-
f1dence in future Government action.
Building Volume Falls.
1t was explained the private home
building industry, scheduled to con-
struct 100000 war housing units, re-
celved a severe reversal when the
War Production Board issued it's
October 26 order halting priorities
for the private field. However, after
an urgent appeal by the NAHB and
the Emergency Committee the order
later was rescinded.
Nevertheless, the statement de-
clared, the EFFECT of loss of conf
dence by builders has been regis
tered ever since in rapidly falling
volume OF new Federal Housing Ad-
ministration applications and of
construction started"
John B. Blandford, jr., admins
traitor of the National Housing
Agency. heads the list of Federal
war housing officials who will par
ticipate in the conference.
The agency will have a repre-
sentative on each of the sub-re-
quirements committees. These
HhobPo, ullstCl piOSSuul al ulISCblOll
Of the Controlled Materials Board,
will study the various phases of the
question of what materials are
needed for the war housing pro-
gram and determine their distri-
button.
Four Proposals Offered.
Mr.. Burns commented that this
arrangement, implementing the
joint declaration of policy recently
signed by Chairman Nelson of WPB
and Mr.. Blandford, gives hope that
the entire war housing job can be
carried out more expeditiously.
The coming conference. he stated,
will discuss what must be done to
enable the private home building
industry to supply the war housing
still urgently needed 1t would sup
ply, of course, under the new con-
struction standards and under the
new and more stringent regulation
as to who is eligible to occupy the
housing.
The NAHB, it was recalled, in
resolutions adopted at its recent
annual meeting in ST. Louis urged
that the following measures be
taken:
l. That WPB allocate the critical
materials necessary for the construc-
tion of war housing and conversion
by private enterprise in accordance
with the spirit and letter of the Lam
ham Act; namely. that publicly
financed war housing and conversion
shall be constructed only where pri
vate enterprise cannot meet the
need.
2. That the method of establishing
ceilings on lumber prices be prompt
y revised by OPA in order to allevi-
ate the present retarding of lumber
production.
3. That FILA increase commit
nents on war housing in keeping
with and in anticipation of constant
y increasing costs.
4. That WPB, MIA and FHA give
adequate and uniform recognition
TO the increase of costs during the
period between application for pri-
orities and completion by permitting
increases of proposed rent schedules
and of proposed sales prices. where
satisfactory evidence of increased
costs are submitted And, further,
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