Evening star., 1948-10-12
47,000 Homes
Started Here
Since V.JDay
Building Record
Set in First Eight
Months Of Yeur
By n. (. Riley
chisf, broneh ef Construction Stesisties,
U. s. Bvrsev OF Leber Stotisties

Chief. Broneh o. Construction Ssetisties.
U. s Bvrsav Of Lober Stotlsties
More than $1,000 new homes have
been started in the Washington area
since VI day in August. 1s45, ac-
cording to the most recent estimates
prepared by the United States Bu-
reau of Labor Statistics.
The postwar boom began In earn
est In the spring Of 1s47 and cons
tinued during the fall and winter
months. The peak was reached in
May. 1948, when more than 5000
units were placed under construc-
ton.
Almost 10000 new dwellings were
started in 1916, about 1e,700 in 1s47
and over $4,000 in the first eight
months Of 194s.
All available evidence indicates
that home building in the first eight
months of this year set an all-time
record for the Washington area.
In common with most other large
metropolitan areas, Washington has
experienced the greatest housing ex-
pansion in Its suburban regions, es-
pecially in Prince Georges and
Montgomery Counties, In Maryland
and Arlington and Fairfax Counties,
In Virginia.
Records Compared.
AS measured by building permits
issued, over rs per cent of the dwell
ing units started in 1916 and 1s47
in the entire area were to be located
outside of the District Comparing
the records for the six Government
units making up the Washington
Metropolitan Area, we find that the
number of new homes authorized In
the District increased by z8 per
cent in 1947 as against 1945.
In Prince Georges County, where
the largest volume of postwar home
building has occurred, over eight
times as many units were started in
l947 as in the last war year. Simi-
larry, Montgomery County, Airing
ton, Fairfax County and the city OF
Alexandria all showed increases
ranging from s to more than 10
times the volume started in 1945.
Another outstanding feature of
housing activity in the Washington
area Is the large volume of rental
type housing placed under construc-
ton since the war. 4
The number of homes provided
In new structures containing two or
more dwelling units totaled $3.50 in
1916, or about Is per cent of all
units placed under construction that.
year. In 1947, about 43 per cent Of
the units started were in multi
family structures.
For the first seven months of this
year, multifamily structures ac-
counted for about SO per cent Of the
total. Although budget reductions
have forced the Bureau of Labor
Statistics to discontinue the collec-
ton of complete housing informa-
ticn for most large metropolitan
districts, data are available on hous-
Ing activity during 1947 in six areas
other than Washington.
Few Outrank Washington.
Among these areas, Washington is
outranked only by the New York
Newark-Jersey City region in the
provision of new rental-type hous-
ing. AS against Washington's 43
per cent, in the New York Area
about 62 per cent of the new homes
started in 1947 were in multi-unit
structures. Percentages in multi
family units in the other areas
were: Atlanta, 20 per cent; Boston,
10 per cent; Chicago, II per cent;
Dallas, 26 per cent, and San Fran
cisco, is per cent.
The gains in housing volume have
been accompanied by sharp in
creases in construction costs In
1916 the construction costs of the
family homes built in the
Washington area averaged $500.
The construction cost of the one
family houses started during the
first eight months of this year is
estimated to average $10,400.
This doesn't mean, however, that
the cost of building a specific house
increased by less than 80 per cent
over the three-year period. AS q
matter of fact, the data on prices
and wage increases indicate that
unit costs have increased by more
than that-perhaps as much as
so or go per cent since January,
1916. These figures represent only
the cost of labor, materials,
builders overhead and subcon-
tractors charges. Land and site
improvements, architectural and
engineering fees and similar costs,
as well as sales profits, are excluded.
The information presented in this
article has been collected by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics through
field visits to construction projects
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