Evening star., 1948-09-26
Builders Try
TOCatChUp
OnHousing
Progress Hampered
by High Costs and
Expansion

ahead of home builders in the Ma
tion's largest population centers.
A survey of key areas across the
country by the Associated Press
shows increased marriages and
births, population shifts and indus
trial expansion have more than Of
set efforts of the building industry
to catch up with demand.
Building costs, still climbing, have
reached a point where the average
income family, in most cities, is un-
able to buy new home or rent In
new buildings.
Although representatives of the
building industry say construction
In general is going forward at top
speed-with more than 600,0 900
homes started since the first Of the
year-high costs are blamed for
many housing projects being cam
celed.
The survey shows:
/. It is easier to find home now
In such sections as Indiana, New
Jersey, Northern California, Okla
hona, Vermont and in Baltimore,
Buffalo and Nashville. But
2. Builders have not been able to
meet the demand for homes in
Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts,,
New Hampshire and most of New
York State including New York
City. nor in the metropolitan areas
Of Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Kan
sas City, Knoxville. Minneapolis,
Omaha, Portland, Me-; Portland,
Greg; Richmond, Rochester, N. Y,
and st. Louis.
Chances Improve
3. Chances of finding a place to
live are only slightly better in Ar
kansas, Florida, North Carolina,
parts of Ohio, Rhode Island, parts
Of South Carolina and in Albany
Albuquerque, Atlanta, Chattanooga,
Denver. Los Angeles, Louisville,
Memphis, Milwaukee, Montgomery
New Orleans, Philadelphia, Phoenix
st. Paul, Seattle, Tucson and
Washington.
Thomas F. Farrell, chairman OF
the New York City Housing Author
ity, sums up the situation this way:
For three years this country has
been sparring with this tough prob
lem. Right now the housing short
age is leading on points. Despite
our best efforts. 1t has us on the
ropes and staggering"
Spokesmen for other large cities
echo q similar refrain. The Mayors
Emergency Housing Committee says
Los Angeles has 128,367 families
waiting for place to live.
The Los Angeles backlog is being
swelled by 1894 persons moving into
the city every month, the committee
adds. Some $4,000 marriages and
10000 births every year add to the
need for homes.
Building is not keeping pace with
the need, explains the committee,
which cites only 12,557 dwelling units
completed in the first seven months
of this year. At this rate, the COM
mittee adds, 1t will take seven years
TO catch up with the current need.
Two Cities Catch Up
Chicago authorities do not expect
the housing shortage to be eased for
probably two more years. Most peo-
pie who moved to Chicago for war
Jobs have been staying, adding to
the normal population growth.
The Detroit City Housing Com
mission says the home shortage IS
Just as bad as ever, If not worse.
Nashville, Tenn, and Camden,
N. j., are the only cities in the
country reporting housing shortages
almost eliminated. William A. Pitts,
county building commissioner in
Nashville, reports many new houses
standing vacant because prices are
so high many people cannot buy
them" In Camden, William E.
johnson, executive vice president
of the Home Builders Association
for Philadelphia and suburbs, pre-
diets overbuilding of apartment
houses in that city may be evident
in six or eight months.
Housing relief in upper price
brackets only is noted in Milwau-
kee, Memphis, Montgomery and
Denver.
Building Costs Blamed
While Indiana observers consider
the housing shortage appreciably
reduced, the Hoosier States home
builders concede that thousands Of
buyers have been priced out Of the
market.
Building costs are commonly
blamed for such conditions. New
York State builders attribute slower
home sales not only to costs Of
building materials and labor, but
also to the costs of other COM
modities.
Pittsburgh experts see an indica-
ton of buyer resistance in a sudden
spurt in real estate advertising. A
downward trend in home buying
above the $4,000 price range is
reported from Philadelphia, where
costs of new homes are figured up
8.6 per cent since May and up is
per cent since January.
Chicago, Memphis and Kansas
City report home prices up about 10
per cent since January. Slower
home buying is admitted by Kansas
City real estate men.
Further increases are now antici-
pated. Louisville contractors expect
new-house prices to continue up
ward by Is per cent. Philadelphia
expects cement price increases alone
to add $50 to 500 to home prices.