Show Prefabrication May Be Best B st Answer f to Low Cost HousingS Housing S Hundreds of thousands of permanent new homes are under con construction iol in the United States but only a small mall handful have been completed so o far this year because of labor and material shortages x Wilson Wyatt national housing expediter revealed the other day that new homes and nd apartments had been started the first seven months of this year bu but only had been completed The same situation exists in Salt SaIt Lake City where Arch G. G Webb executive secretary of the National Association Asso Asao dation of Home Harpe Builders Utah chapter says approximately tely worth of new homes are under construction in the metropolitan Sa Salt Lake area but various limitations including excessive government red tape are delaying completion It is understandable that a material shortage should exist in the building industry but the reported shortage of labor is difficult to o explain Mr Webb said that shortage is s critical One contractor reported he nc needed ded 1150 50 carpenters rs and md hundreds of bricklayers plasterers and ce cement ent finishers One would think there would be a surplus of construction labor today in view of of the huge number of persons employed on wartime construction construction con con- jobs in this area Also the large number of persons drawing unemployment ment compensation in Utah proves that labor laboris is available Is the answer to the labor shortage then that it is artificial i The building delay caused by the material and labor shortage shortage short short- short age is further aggravating ng the most critical problem relative to ton n new housing housing excessive excessive cost Delay costs money in home con con- It interferes interferes' with the efficient systematic building which makes for economy A number of Salt Sale Lake bu builders are are endeavoring to meet the demand for low cost homes although they are having considerable considerable con con- difficulty d in doing so because of shortages and delays One of the most hopeful projects is the construction of number a-number of semi prefabricated homes on the west side to sell at prices as low as These homes are modern room four-room residences which give a l lOt Idt t of house for the money relative to some soma homes selling for twice as much or more 1 I Further expansion in the construction of prefabricated or semi semi prefabricated homes may be one of the best answers to the low-cost low home problem Under the federal program for building building build build- ing lug homes for veterans nearly half the houses to be built next ye year r are slated to be of this type Th The government is now testing testing testing test test- ing and studying various types of prefabricated dwellings prior to awarding contracts which pledge the government to buy any h homes barnes mes which the manufacturer is unable to sell The idea of 61 f t this is guarantee is to encourage mass mass' construction of or suc such prefabricated prefabricated prefabricated pre pre- fabricated homes thus bringing the price down to the point where the average G. G I. I can afford to buy them Some of these homes will be built of steel panels others of aluminum or glass glasa of a new lightweight concrete or r of heavy pressed panels Some may be the radical circular houses hung on a steel mast S But But the main point is that hat they will cut corners and provide livable modern homes at prices within the reach of the average American family And that's something which is very much needed in America if we are going to solve this housing shortage A prefabricated or semi prefabricated d home may not be the equivalent of a mansion but it will be a great Improvement improvement improvement improve Improve- ment over the shacks chicken coops garages and tents in which many of our returned veter veterans ns ar are arc now living I l |