Homes for Veterans (1946)

[Music] e [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] welcome home well [Applause] [Applause] done [Music] oh sir all this can't keep a fell from putting down his ideas something is going to add up here Zone air conditioned castle with a deep freeze cooler for beer great big lawn where B and pubsy will welcome him home [Music] no sir all this can't stop a fell from keeping his [Music] ideas [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] Mighty Swell this is a long time coming they're all here sure enough yes there's no place like [Music] hope but what's happened here back in the land of the free and the home of the [Music] brave [Music] are you all living here all of them in this three room apartment but where have bet and Bubsy hung [Music] out oh no Bart is back now he'll dig out a spot for the three of them uh-uh uncle Rod knows there is in a spot in town not a rabbit hole we'll see about that a man can have resource in gumption we'll find a spot we'll find our home right now before lunch and be [Music] back they want a roof of their own that's all a place of Their Own [Music] no rooms well we'll take an [Music] apart this one looks [Music] nice sure it's nice and there is an [Music] apartment someone has heard of someone who knew knew someone who mentioned that someone might move [Music] out hunting a home the most intense prolonged widespread desperate hunt in history with the hunters running into the [Music] Millions no rentals no no rental since last Wednesday but I do have a house for sale at [Music] $118,000 I should have held that house until tomorrow I could have gotten 20 [Music] $20,000 [Music] any city has thousands of dwellings there must be some Spot somewhere [Music] somewhere somewhere [Music] somewhere somewhere where somewhere somewhere anywhere somewhere somewhere anywhere anywhere anywhere anywhere anywhere some Spot somewhere where they can live as a [Music] family I've got to have a [Music] home no one is to blame yet everyone is to blame there's been a lag in home construction for more than 15 years during the past 5 years the population of the United States has increased 8 million now there are building material shortages of all kinds and shortages of Manpower in the Building Trades every everywhere citizens were aware of the emergency in the City Halls of hundreds of cities in state legislatures and in Washington in the committee rooms of the national capital A solution was [Music] sought the had enacted that to meet this emergency funds and the necessary Authority will be forthcoming to launch the veterans program [Applause] veterans emergency housing program is launched to help solve the housing emergency in hundreds of [Music] cities the target 2,700,000 Homes and Apartments started by the end of 1947 this can't be done overnight houses in a apartments are not produced through Miracles this is the goal the number of houses built in 1945 must in 1946 be five times greater and in 1947 6 and a half times greater this is a job on which government industry and labor will have to join in an allout effort the heart of this program lies in the community to ADV of this pledge to the veterans an emergency committee is created a gathering of friends and neighbors called for the mayor's emergency committee are a representative of veterans it's their program remember and a local Housing Authority director here are a real estate dealer a representative of home builders and a representative of home financing institutions representatives of the AFL and of minority groups a delegate from the CIO a newspaper editor women's organizations are represented too representative of material producers and dealers a Regional Housing expeditor and the head of the local veterans housing referral center all right let's call the meeting to order hear the reports of our committees the war is not over this is for Operation Hometown USA to redeem its pledge to their veterans such emergency committees are at work in Worcester Pittsburgh Chicago Salt Lake City Los Angeles right across the nation in large cities and small what has this committee already done for their veterans all right the uh first report is that of our referral center our subcommittee Mr chairman has completed plans for the opening of a clearing house for information on housing for all returning men of the armed services in the referral center we find out all we can about every Veteran's needs here we give him consultation and advice does the veteran wish to build or rent for rental he has shown our classified listings we have classified the type of vacancy that we receive however if the applicant wishes to build the veteran is told how application may be made for a priority to the state or district office of the FHA and he is also told where he may find out about a loan under the GI bill of right thank you very much Mrs [Applause] Watkins and uh now let's have the report of our publicity committee we of the publicity subcommittee have asked local radio stations to make appeals and interview veterans newspapers have given space to cut out coupons cartoons and feature articles we have issued posters letters have been sent to All clergymen in town to request the property owners of their congreg ations to open their homes similar letters to service clubs women's clubs and all real talks and finally to all Property Owners we've tried to make everyone aware that they must help in this emergency and you're certainly doing a good job the next step in the veterans housing program is a survey of the city's present housing situation our report on this comes from a man whose wide experience in housing and real estate well qualifies him as chairman of our subcommittee on planning Sai let's have your report we've made a complete survey of all unused housing space in our town we've had our boy scouts comb all the burrows for extra space Maybe upstairs over that garage there's an unused room a spare room or attic that could be used temporarily we've asked all our folks people who are so situated if they'd consider remodeling large houses into additional apartments that helps now that's how we've tried to take the edge off the housing shortage in our town until construction can get underway and catch up with all this demand and the demand is certainly great isn't it Tom it really is uh Tom and I have have made a recount of substandard housing checked existing Maps we know just where we stand on that there are a lot of veterans in those houses they should be considered now here's one result of our survey you'll recognize this as a map of our city here you find unused Lots some of them City owned taking over for back taxes we've interviewed many of the owners of these vacant Lots tried to free them from Cloudy titles now many of these improved Lots will be available for building within our price range we've also made a study of the use of land beyond the city limits land not serviced by City Paving facilities very good Sai good work now about this construction that Sai says must get underway it's pretty clear to us all that drastic steps must be taken as local Housing Authority director I want to report that we have established a Veterans Preference for admission to our low rent projects the recount of substandard housing based largely on our surveys showed that there are many veterans families living under slum conditions lowincome veterans and their families are doubly handicapped in this emergency we are trying to give them an even break thank you very much indeed that's what we're all here for now Target number one 1946 Target number two 1947 now how do we get there what's our path well to help us along our road we have with us today a Regional Housing expediter Mr Walter King [Applause] we all agree that the veterans emergency housing program is going to depend primarily on Community Action but the federal government is going to do everything within its power to help to channel materials into homes for veterans at the right prices to utilize its resources to break bottlenecks on a national scale all government agencies concerned with housing and material switch go into housing are cooperating with National Housing expediter Wilson W Wyatt the civilian production Administration has the prime job of stimulating the greatest possible amount of production the office of price administration of keeping prices on materials in line the labor department will turn its efforts in cooperation with labor to augmenting the Manpower Supply and the three major units units of the National Housing agency will each have vital roles the federal housing Administration or FHA as it is known to every Builder and millions of homeowners is handling the arduous task of issuing priorities and of insurance of mortgages the federal public housing authority has the vital job of providing 200,000 temporary homes for Veterans as speedily as possible this will be done by the ReUse of the war housing Supply and Army and Navy Barracks as well as by aiding the long range public housing program for those of low income operated through local housing authorities and the federal Home Loan Bank administration will utilize its resources and those of its member institutions to Aid in the financing of veterans homes as a town you would do well to set a goal to shoot at as your chairman States But first you must remember that the price factor of new houses is important a war department survey shows that 84% of the veterans throughout the nation can't afford more than a $6,000 house can't pay more than $50 a month rent and many of these families want to rent and are in no position to buy a house how many houses will this town need to hit Target 1 and Target Two to answer that sir basic facts are called for our referral center reports that the number of discharged veterans still seeking homes is 2,998 selective service reports total number of men from this town in war service for the period of July 1st 1940 to June 1st 1946 is 6,451 the 1946 population of this town is 599 963 no correction on that 965 twins arrived this morning at the City Hospital a survey part of which was made for us by our boy scouts reports that the total number of habitable vacant dwelling units in this community is only 67 they're going fast schedule a estimate future veteran requirements vacancies subtracted from requirements give an estimate of the number of houses needed 2,931 for 1946 1,34 for 1947 [Music] 1,627 the total number for which this community must assume responsibility that's too darn many can't be done it's clear Beyond this sight it's impossible ladies and gentlemen ladies and gentlemen it's got to be done how well here are three ways of meeting our goal in addition to making available every possible vacant space in existing homes first by building in the usual conventional manner the onsite construction which has provided the great volume of our homes and apartments in the past secondly by prefabricated houses and houses of pre-fabricated Parts constructed in the factory and assembled on the site and thirdly by temporary structures brought from other areas but we don't want any temporary buildings where are we put them but can we get the material can we get labor ladies and gentlemen but these houses take time our veterans need roofs right now and at a price that we can afford these men can't wait this is a crisis friends and it calls for Action we've got to find homes for veterans we all know the cost it's not beyond our powers or ability as a city we've got to find apartments and houses by every possible means now I've heard that in a certain Midwestern City interested parties were brought together real estate men made available I believe a 1,000 acre plot bankers and S savings and loan people arranged for the financing and then veterans who wish to build made application the first contractor is building 400 low to moderate priced units as one job I believe that this town can do the same if we pull our mutual interests of course building contractors need stimulation and I think that we should encourage the formation of new construction organizations now U what about materials that is the biggest most critical job facing us today and that's one for you Joe that idle Brickyard on Crescent Street you can get that into operation again yes I can and we must do much more to break those bottlenecks Sam that Sawmill of Jim Matthews is only one of several that can be made to increase its output of lumber oh sure sure it take care of now uh what about labor labor can meet the demand if materials are there we can make the men available we'll recruit all the men needed for the job and train them as speedily as possible we can relax our apprenticeship requirements if the building industry grows labor will grow with it remember labor has a great stake in the housing program both as producer and consumer and we're going to see it through it's pretty clear I think that we can't construct all the dwellings we need in the usual conventional manner to achieve our Target we've got to use prefabrication now the big advantage of prefabs of course is the speed of construction units are assembled in the factory by production line methods houses can be shipped within a limited radius of the [Music] factory the prefabricated houses that we want are not flimsy structures they will be built to high standards and I'm sure that they'll be a real asset to the [Music] community former service barracks and War housing are placed at the disposal of veterans 200,000 of these units are being dismantled and moved through the federal public housing authority to cities and colleges where the need is Extreme for immediate [Music] shelter available and serviceable but they do not meet our permanent needs when the emergency is over they will be removed well this about concludes our meeting we must remember that we're after rental housing all we can get of it because most veterans are in no position to buy homes and even more important we must eliminate non-essential construction and Channel all materials to Veterans needs this is really an emergency friends and I know that each and every one of you will [Applause] cooperate and now let's have a discussion and a vote but the important thing is early decision yes decision about land for the necessary constructions land for all income groups questions about City Paving and extension of facil if construction is really to get going codes must be amended to still give protection but not hold up production zoning must be reappraised yes the important thing for every committee is to face their local problems and argue them out in the Democratic process opinions stated problems faced Solutions evaluated but the important thing is the need for concerted action all right all those in favor hundreds of these committees in hundreds of towns are facing their housing emergency facing their problems with full use of their resources over and above they plan their future and the future of the nation building should grow to be the major United States industry better living conditions are ahead for us [Applause] all city planners and planning commissions Builders labor financing agencies local housing authorities Civic groups alert citizens everywhere are meeting the enlarged demands of the 20th century cities will plan their growth communities will provide more neighborhoods where men and women can live in comfort and [Music] dignity there will be wider spaces Community facilities for all more air and sunlight more living room more houses and a rich full life for everyone but in the meantime right now I've got to have a [Music] home let's do it let's give him a [Music] home