Evening star., 1951-05-26
April Housing Jump
Not Up 10 Normal,
BIS Report Says
Continued From Page BID

NSoIlCiuueQ fTOm rage b-lJ
higher peak has tendency to
stun the statiSticians.
However stunned they may be
that April made only slight gain
over March, they contented them
selves in statement issued today
with saying that last month
:halked up only a less than sea-
sonal increase"
Appears to Be Low.
This was approximately the
same number started during the
previous month. but appeared to
be low considering the seasonal
increase normally expected at this
time of year." BIS added.
The Federal Reserve Board and
the Housing and Home Finance
Agency have been busy as beavers
in the last six months in an eff
fort to keep national production
down to its $4,000 year.
In view of this, it is doubtful if
Federal Reserve Board and hous-
ing agency officials had any nor
NAL expectations of a big seasonal
rise.
The fact that the rise was slight,
however, seems to prove that
credit restrictions have begun toI
take hold a bit in this area as we'll
as in the country as a whole.
Below April, 1850.
This years April production was
80 units lower than in April,
1850. for both apartments and
houses. In the case of houses,
alone. l60 more units were built
IN April. 1850, than the 1,750.
started in April of this year.
In the first four months of this
year. $500 units of all types were
started here. This was a drop of
13 per cent from the number
started in the comparable four
month period in 1850.
Practically all of the decrease
was in apartments, however, BIS
pointed out, since the $500 single
family houses put under construc-
tion In the first four months of
this year was roughly equal to the
number started in the similar
period of 1850.
In reporting on April construc-
ton, BIS supplied new informa-
ton on average housing costs. 1t
said:
Though the average construc-
ton cost of homes started in the
Washington area is currently at
its highest level (S12.70o for the
first quarter. 1851 preliminary
tabulations indicate that the home
built for that money differs in
some respects from those started
during the first three-quarters of
1850.
"a larger number of the 1851
houses have basement, OF more
than one bathroom, and on the
average their floor area is greater.
These changes, as we'll as increases
in basic building costs, account for
the average construction cost of
$12,700.
"Of the 1880 homes put under
construction during the first quar-
ter of this year, II per cent had
either a full or partial basement.
This compares with 66 per cent of
the houses started during the sec
ond and third quarters of 1850 and
only 81 per cent of those started
In the first three months of 1850.
In contrast, utility rooms were
less prevalent this year than last,
decreasing from 81 per cent to 25
per cent.
About one of every three new
homes had more than one bath.
This was true of one out of five
mid-1950 houses, and only one
seventh of those put Under con-
struction during the first quarter
of 1850.
THE average floor area was $50
square feet for the one-family
home started at the beginning of
1850, and 1860 square feet for the
home started in the middle of the
year.
"The 1851 home. however. shows