Evening star., 1948-08-08
By The Assoeiotsd Press

LONDON, Aug. t.-6rltdm Is
within sight Of her goal Of 10000
homes in the immediate postwar
housing program. The program has
81 ,223 units to go, but ofdcials expect
to reach and even exceed this in
September.
June figures, just released, set q
record. A total of 21,159 permanent
houses were built that month, ex-
ceeding the record Of May by 7S7.
The grand total for June was "a, ,466
houses because 2,307 temporary
structures also were built. The COM
plete total for May was 22,496.
The total complete houses, perma-
nent and temporary, since April l.,
ls45. is 463, ,7ol.
(Britain's population is rough
ly one-third that of the United
States. United States housing
and home finance agencies said
that during the same period In
the United States, 2,153,000 new
houses and apartment units were
built, of which 2,137 900 were fin-
anced privately. The estimate
excluded public temporary houses,
trailers and remodelling jobs).
72S,777 Families Rehoused.
Houses provided altogether by new
building, repair of uninhabitable
houses, conversion and requisitioning
bring the total number Of families
rehoused under the postwar program
to 72s,777.
The wartime coalition govern
ment had set the goal Of 100000.
Now, despite shortage Of materials
and criticism, which is waning, the
Labor government apparently will
make the grade easily.
Softwood timber is the key to the
building program. A shortage Of
such timber already has slowed
down the planned rate OF building,
as the Baltic countries which sup
piled the greater part Of Britain's
needs are now under Russian con-
troll.
Most Of the vital timber has come
from hard currency areas and the
Government, stepping up its export
drive, has said: More exports mean
more timber. more timber means
more houses"
Materials Output Increased.
British production Of building
materials, including cement, pipes
and conduits, bricks and plaster, In
creased in June over the May fig-
ures. thus aiding the building pro-
gram.
A spokesman for the ministry Of
health, which has Jurisdiction over
home building, says enough material
has been used in repairs to bombed
and uninhabitable houses to have
built 100000 permanent homes.
During the war 100000 houses were
totally destroyed, 25o.ooo were made
unliveable. OF 1900, 900 slightly dam
aged, most had been repaired before
the end of the war. More than
133, 900 Of the unliveable houses have
been repaired.
The British treasury subsidies and
contributions for new housing by
local authorities will remain un.
changed for at least another year,
payable on new houses completed
before June 80. 1919. They were
first fixed In q 1916 act.
Under this act the exchequer pays
f16 10 shillings ($66) per house
per year for go years. The local
authority contributes f5 10 shil-
lings ($22) per house per year for
go years. Under q special subsidy
for houses for agricultural workers,
the exchequer pays f25 10 shillings
(s102) and the contribution Of the
local authority is f3 GID per house
per year for so years.
Rental Houses Favored.
The private builder must 60 to .
building society or some other source
for loans for housing. He has no
access to government subsidies.
Tenants may not buy houses
from local authorities. The gov
ernment contends that the greatest
need now is to provide houses for
rent, because the average person Is
not In a position economically to
buy q home.
The few who are able to buy
property are given the opportunity
to do 50 from private builders.
Local authorities have an allo-
cation in the number of houses that
can be built in their areas. For