Show HOME t Survey Shows Housing No 1 Problem of U U. S S. tf t note 13 the lint firSt stories on en the nations nation's Io housing shortage the of the tt problem and the gov- gov Ire i doIng about It and J Jr r BILL ei GLoVER EW tee Dec 4 Rome UP-Rome ct h home t a a. nightmare crisis ad or of B. B Song for Americas America's millions and their problem i Is a top In priority on ev eVery section of ot th the n an Associated m Press ires survey The picture which has J since V V-J V J day Ls w m a 1 sorry Borry composite in which thousands thousands thou thou- sands of families are doubling up tip living in substandard dwellings sleeping In cars sheds railroad stations streets garages cellars cellar or trailers even an occasional pup tent school chool or filling station It is a problem created by sev several ev- ev er eral erril l primary causes Millions of service men are returning many have married and md w want nt homes of ot their own Other thousands of families which crowded in with parents parent and laws in-laws while the war was Wu on are arc pre pressing for larger quarters Still StUl other thousands who moved Into manufacturing centers for tor war work are arc staying on I Here is i. ft a sampling of immediate M t urban housing needs In a IJ dozen big and little UttIe cities based on estimates estimates estimates es es- es- es by public officials and andreal andreal andreal real estate men Kansas City family units Omaha Jefferson City Mo Topeka 1250 Danbury ry Conn Coon OO 00 Nashville Detroit 30 Washington Atlanta 2500 Chicago Houston vcr Denver A Philadelphia housing official terms the situation the toughest Job Philadelphia has bas ever faced and the need Is set at homes annually for six years John Dobbs Dobb New England regional representative tive Uve of the national housing agency agen agen- C cy says nay housing Is IB acute enough See rage Pare fi 5 Column 6 G i i r 1 J c t. t Y J. J i w 1 1 HOME SWEET HOME U. U S. S Survey Shows Housing No 1 Problem of Nation Continued from Page One Oneto Oneto Oneto to be termed an emergency Gov Lester C C. C Hunt of ot Wyoming uses the word dire and says saya jobs are going begging San Francisco has more jobs than houses houes Costs Go Up There arc are shortages all along the line from room one-room apartments apartments apartments apart apart- ments to materials for new resi resi- dences Estimates of ot building cot cost Increases range from 35 to 60 over prewar years yet as an Albuquerque Albuquerque Albuquerque Al Al- read estate dealer commented commented commented com com- It would be cheaper to build a new house if materials were available than to buy one three or four years year old In Baltimore a seller can get almost any price if he can guarantee guarantee guarantee guar guar- antee immediate occupancy In San Francisco a few new houses sold laId by builders at are resold immediately by private citizens for as much as Houses have been resold five times in one year in Phoenix Ariz where a prewar dwelling built for now commands command In Portland Ore a year old house costing brought Resale prices in New Orleans Orleans Or Or- leans leall and Charlotte N N. C. C are up 50 to 1000 0 over first costs Rents Held Down DownIn In contrast t home rental prices have been held by 0 O P A ceilings to within about 3 30 0 of 1941 rates compared to an over-all over cost of living increase of between 30 and 60 A case in point occurred at Altus Okla where rents doubled soon after ceilings were removed Sept 1 1 Rent ceilings have not been unmixed unmixed unmixed un un- mixed blessings however say real estate men Owners In Topeka Topeka Topeka To- To peka Kan Milwaukee Denver Nashville and Columbus 0 O. O have preferred to let properties stand idle through fear tear of additional O 0 P A rulings and because of the regulation requiring a six months' months eviction notice to tenant tenants Others prefer selling elling to ac accepting ceiling rentals In Los Angeles county 1700 owners vowed to evict tenants and take properties off rent lists until adjustments are made Ceilings also as a general rule have affected unfavorably plans for postwar construction as operators operators operators opera opera- tors declare that existing scales make impossible a reasonable re return return return re- re turn on buildings and maintenance Some Vacancies Amid the widespread scarcities there are arc occasional spots where sizable numbers of living units ironically are vacant despite community community community com com- congestion Baltimore's in industrIal industrial industrial in- in suburbs have 2000 vacancies vacancies vacancies cies in housing projects Only of the dwellings are in use at Vanport City the nations nation's biggest biggest biggest big big- gest wartime housing development near Portland Ore Quarters go begging at Richmond Cal At Hartford Conn s structures are being being being be be- ing razed Portsmouth Va has 2300 vacancies although h Norfolk across the bay i is jammed But these facilities were erected in conjunction with special war manufacturing centers such as shipyards They are in remote areas that have poor transportation tion facilities into communities shifting back to normal business activities Areas Easing Ensing A few scattered communities such as Columbus Ga Laredo Tex Pryor Okla Ga and some small towns in Nebraska and Washington have seen housing ease as military installations shrink and factories close closer They are contradictory to the general picture A main handicap to use of wartime wartime wartime war war- time housing projects is that they are temporary structures which sometimes provide living standards standards standards stan stan- dards lower than those demanded by many families in normal times In New York City for example Mayor F F. H H. LaGuardia has opposed opposed opposed op op- op- op posed setting up temporary structures structures structures tures because he feels they rapidly rapid rapid- ly would degenerate into slum areas I In some urban zones local circumstances circumstances cir cir- I aggravate the general scarcity Large port cities are crowded with families which rush to meet returning service men College Towns Hit In Seattle and Los Angeles the return of Japanese American families fam- fam Hes from detention centers has added complications Many college communities have felt the impact of the postwar boom in higher education education education edu edu- cation for tor returning service men many of whom arrive on the campus campus campus cam cam- pus with wives and children The University of ot Texas estimates estimates estimates esti esti- mates it lost potential students because of lack of ot housing and many other colleges colleg especially inthe in inthe th the New England states have similar similar sim aim ilar lIar stories One girl at the Texas State College for Women slept for fora a time in a pup tent on the campus A veteran plans to study at Georgia Tech after living with his wife and baby in a car for several sev- sev eral days Ohio State and the University University Uni Uni- of Missouri had to ban out- out state of girl students The Thc hungry home hordes have shown considerable resourcefulness resourceful resourceful- ness in trying to get the jump to the few places posted for rent or sale In Denver police pollee keep order at a newspaper office where people regularly jam in to buy early editions editions editions edi edi- edi- edi and one man was roughed up when he approached the classi- classi led fled ad desk and said he pad had six t places to rent Chain Housing Swaps Swap i I In Georgia an army anny lieutenant I found a place for his family after I visiting every town within 15 miles miles' j of Albany Ga In New York City an sergeant ex-sergeant ex found an apartment I after a mile hike through the streets New York and Danbury I Conn have witnessed chain housing houa- houa houang I Ing ng swaps At Waterbury Conn watch the obituary notices and In one New Jersey city 12 applicants sought an apartment apartment apartment apart apart- i ment while the tenant lay dying in ina a hospital Real estate agents In many towns have thrown up their hands and refuse to take any more ap ap- I That's not all alU Officials expect a greater congestion in the next six months to a year National housing authorities who say 1 families are arc already doubling doubling Y ing up estimate that more families will have to get to together together to- to gether before the end of ot next year I f |