The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-09-18
Builders Disgusted;
 Shortages Too Many M Housing Program

have been issued, but only 11,OOO homes begun, and the metropolitan unit of the NAHB estimates not more than 250 have been completed. The Chicago office of the MIA con- siders the 250 figure an underestim- ate but says it has no evidence. Builders say they have some $500 homes, in various stages of progress, on which work is virtually at a StandStill.
 San Misunderstanding is behind schedule so badly that many who want to build are not even trying. Nevertheless, applications and per- mits are at an all-time high. It is estimated that 37,000 families would like to build if they could.
 WHERE ARE MATERIALS?
 There is remarkable unanimity among the reporters as to the req son for these delays. Every one features material shortages. The Cleveland situation is aggravated by strike of 45O0 AFL carpenters that lasted from June 2 to July 8. BoS- ton complains that the shortages are increased by the diversion to non-housing construction of enough material, at dollar measure, to pro- vide 12,000 maximum ($10,000) homes for veterans. In New York the inferiority of materials that can be procured, and the uncertainties that surround operations, are cited in addition to the absolute lack of many necessary items.
 Lumber, generally, is a major necessity whose absence is holding up home building everywhere. Of this hardwood flooring is much the worst bottleneck. The items that are causing the worst headaches are enumerated by reporters as:
 Cleveland - Flooring, doors, nails and siding in that order Close be- hind come roofing and shingles miscellaneous lumber, trim, rocklath and metal soil pipe. Bricks and building blocks are rather plentiful here because they are manufactured locally.
 San Francisco Cured lumber, plywood, tile and pulumbing fix lures.
 Boston "Evefything on wyatt's list" acutely short. That would in- clude all lumber, soil pipe, bathtubs and other plumbing supplies, gyp- sum board, lath, furnaces, radiation, nails, among other things. Boston feels that it is even worse off than most areas for soil pipe.
 Chicago Hardwood flooring, castiron soil pipe, nails, millwork, bathtubs, framing lumber, gypsum lath and board Improving a bit now) and electrical equipment.
 New York-Hardwood flooring, lumber generally, nails, soil pipe, plumbing fixtures are mentioned most, though canvass of suppliers shows that for anybody but an es- tablished builder there are dozens of other items almost unprocurable. COSTS UP
 FASTER THAN HOUSES
 In Cleveland old time builders who have sufficient savings to see them through are throwing up their hahds and saying that they will quit when they complete what is already started. Others who operate on smaller scale and on a narrower profit margin expect to take losses on current contracts that will eith- CT bankrupt them or make it ex- tremely difficult to go on. Costs are rising constantly while selling price usually is fixed by agreement be- fore the work begins.
 The Cleveland Better Business Bureau is getting complaints about builders who are alleged to stop work, after beginning, and demand premiums above the contract price as the condition of continuing. Tn