Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958, 1951-04-19
Introducing Scandinavia
Norway
Housing Program

After almost ID days of debate,
at times very heated, the Nor
wegian Parliament has unanimous
ly approved majority report re-
commencing the construction of
at least $4,000 dwellings this year.
Two minority reports, one of which
would have raised the target to
$4,000 units, were rejected.
AS approved by the Parliament,
the Government is urged (D to
continue the compilation of reliable
data on the need for new housing,
(2) to support research and ra-
tionalization within the building
industry, 90 to stimulate self-con-
struction by exempting from ra-
tioning the use of lumber cut
outside working hours, ca. to urge
Municipalities to change building
codes with a view to permit the
use of lumber-saving construction
methods.
Despite the fact that about IT,
$50 dwelling units have been built
in Norway since the end of World
War II, there is still an acute
housing shortage in all parts of the
country. All told, $4,000 dwellings
were destroyed during the war, in
GLIDING $4,000 burned by the Ger
mans when they forcibly evacu-
ated $4,000 people from the north
ern provinces. In addition, the war
time ban on new housing left Nor
way 100000 units in arrears. At
the same time, the marriage rate
of the 194OS has been as much
as 5000 higher than during t h e
1905. Furthermore, the industrial
reconstruction program has made
tremendous demands on the ma
TONS resources of building ma
terials and manpower, and of late,
Norways defense preparations
have made it necessary to hold
the housing program within
bounds.
To assure a rational distribution
among the various projects and to
prevent over-eXtension, the Parlia-
ment has deemed it necessary to
control building activities.
Controlled Private Initiative
In contrast to the practice in
the United States, there are no
public housing projects in Nor
way The Norwegian system
might be described as one of pri-
vate initiative, publicly subsidized
and controlled. $50 of all new
housing is built by home owners
themselves or by real estate OPP
orators, and 1870 by cooperatives.
Most of the home financing in
towns is done by the State-ownei
Housing Bank, established in 1916,
which also assures. low rents
through State and municipal SUBJ
sides. In rural areas, home con-
struction is financed by the Small
holding and Dwelling Bank.
A radically new departure in the
financing methods of the Housing
Bank is that the applicants abil-
ity to pay a given rent is used
as the basis for the calculation of
loans and subsidies. The policy is
that the rent for a house or apart
ment consisting of rooms and
kitchen should not exceed 20% of
the average income within a par
ticular district. The capital rate
able with such a rent, the rate
able value" forms the basis on
which the size of the loan to be
granted is stipulated. Under this
practice, housing loans may be as
high as $4,000 of the rateable
value. The interest payable on
Housing Bank loans is only 2h %.
The other principal agency for
Norwegian housing policy is the
Housing Directorate, which CO.
operates intimately with the Hous-
ing Bank, especially in attempting
to improve building standards.
The Directorate prescribes re-
quired standards for homes en-
title to Housing Bank loans, and
the Bank makes sure that the
blue-prints are examined and ap-
proved by the district architects