Show Fears Housing May Get Worse Not Until Turn of Year Will Demand Begin to Level LevelOff LevelOff LevelOff Off Says Wyatt WASHINGTON The housing shortage will get worse not better better bet bet- betI I ter this winter warns Housing Expediter Expediter Expediter Ex Ex- Ex- Ex Wilson W W. Wyatt He said houses of all kinds had bad been completed so far this year He hope hoper thousands more will be ready before before be be- fore tore winter In a monthly report he added Constantly rising demand at present more than offsets the additional additional ad ad- accommodations and not until after the turn of ot the year will the demand begin to level off The price tags on new GI houses were too high for tor the average veteran veteran veteran vet vet- eran Wyatt declared He asserted that at the end of July half of the GI houses planned were to sell seU f for tor r or more Another obstacle Inthe Inthe in inthe the governments government's plans to have veteran houses and apartments apartments apartments apart apart- ments started in 1946 was a labor shortage Meanwhile W. W A. A Bryant chief chic of the civilian production administrations administration's administrations administration's administrations administration's tion's consumer durable goods division divi sion slon said a veteran who succeeded succeed succeed- ed In buying one of Wyatts Wyatt's houses might have trouble furnishing it I Bryant said hardwood production had doubled a fact now showing up at furniture factories But demand is two rive t to 1 three times greater thai that in 1941 he said declaring that aUwood all aU allwood allwood wood furniture would probably be short for tor another year or two He said that upholstered furniture was in somewhat better supply Homes Finished Wyatts Wyatt's report said that of the new dwellings completed through July only were permanent permanent per per- f manent houses and apartment units r The rest were trailers conversions r of existing buildings or surplus war housing put to reuse re Only about of the Individual r permanent homes started in 1946 I have been finished which means that a majority of the dwellings I begun under veterans' veterans housing priority priority I are standing in various stages I of completion From 85 to 90 per cent of ot all new I dwellings completed under the national na na- na I tiona housing program this year r now are actually occupied by veterans veterans vet vet- erans Wyatt said The type of homes that veterans are arc getting he added appear to be of better qualIty quality quality ity than those erected in the buildIng buildIng building build- build Ing boom of the He declared declared declared de de- that recent criticisms of U tk J structures had proved justI Justified ed in only a few cases Wyatt announced also that Secretary Secretary Secretary Secre Secre- tary of f the Treasury John Sn Jer had approved a new tax policy to stimulate the building of rental housing projects for moderate Income income income In in- come veterans Builders and owners owners owners own own- ers of such projects will be allowed to show faster depreciation for tor Income In come tax purposes in n the first years after completion of the project Heretofore the depreciation write write- off has been equal year by year Labor Trouble Spreads The labor problem showed up ina in ina ina a large number of communities I Wyatt said especially in such skilled trades as bricklaying and carpentering Instead of a movement movement movement move move- ment of labor Into residential work the trend has been the other way way way- new workers went into non- non housing construction in July against into home horre building the NHA chief chiel said This trend he added reflects the high hith level of commercial commercial commercial commer commer- cial and industrial building Production of ot scarce building materials materials ma ma- has been ising steadily But not rapidly enough to meet demand In July lumber output hit a new 1946 high brick production topped all records since December 1941 and gypsum products attained a Ii postwar high bleb Current shortages however tend to center in plumbing hardware and other finishing items which are i needed in the latter stages of home construction Builders therefore are reluctant to start a home because they are uncertain whether they will willbe willbe willbe be able to finish It for lor sale even when the main construction job Is done Output of l prefabricated homes continued to lag Only factory built houses were shipped in July about the same number as in June |