▲ Shipbuilding

BETWEEN OCTOBER, 1939 AND JUNE, 1941 RENT SURVEYS OF SELECTED DEFENSE AREAS FOR PERIODS

Since many of the new workers now have to commute long distances to the ship

yard, there has been continual pressure on the rental of Camden residents from men seeking homes nearer their place of employment. Inasmuch as the vacancy of living quarters in good condition was one-half of 1 percent back in August 1940, before the development of the program, there is little prospect of a normal rental market in Camden within the near future, despite current private construction and defense housing allocations. During the 18-month period from October 1939 through April 1941, there was an average increase of 12 percent on 43 out of every

period. Dwellings in the lower rent groups were harder hit than those in the higher 64 out of 100 homes renting for less than $20 were increased an average of 25 percent; 52 out of 100 homes renting for $20 to $30 were increased an average of 20 percent. (See chart 91.)

The New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, N. J., has more than doubled its employment since the declaration of the emergency in September 1939.

CHART 91

AND BY THE WORK

PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION

SOURCES: SURVEYS BY THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

100 rented homes in white neighborhoods. Many shipyard workers reported to their union more exorbitant increases and prompted Mr. John Green, president of the Marine and Shipbuilding Workers of America, to address a letter on November 7, 1940, to Commissioner Harriet Elliott, in which he pointedly referred to the relationship between rent increases and wages in the Camden area. "It is significant," he wrote, "that since the wage increases recently won by the shipyard workers in Camden-and they are none too liberal-this method of profiteering has become more prevalent. * * *""

AIRCRAFT CENTERS

Aircraft centers have reported similar difficulties-not unexpected in an industry which has expanded its employment from 51,400 in August 1939 to 222,100 in May 1940 and which must take on 23,000 men every month if its production schedule is to be maintained.

Hartford, Conn., and San Diego, Calif., at the two ends of the continent, are good illustrations of the rent problem.

San Diego is one of the vital defense centers in the country-the location of a naval base, harbor defenses, shipyards, and, most important of all, a rapidly expanding aircraft industry. Employment in the San Diego aircraft industry was about 1,500 in January 1939; it is expected to reach 35,000 by December 1941. A survey in March of this year showed a habitable rental vacancy for the city of only seven-tenths of 1 percent. An agent of the Bureau of Labor Statistics has succinctly summarized the results of a situation in which there is a tremendous demand for an almost nonexistent supply:

"One of the main reasons for the excessive increases in rents is caused by the prospective tenants bidding against each other. An owner advertised a singlefamily house for $35. She received several dozen applicants. In order to get the house, each bid against the other, until finally the owner rented the place for $80 a month * * Properties are still being rented on a month-to-month basis. One informant asked, 'Why give a lease, when they can rent a property at any time and if they have an undesirable tenant they can raise the rent high enough to get rid of them.'

* * *""

A rent survey covering the period from October 1939 through April 1941 reported an average increase of 14 percent for one out of every two rented homes in San Diego. (See chart 92.) Protests against rent increases have been received from the management of the largest aircraft plant in San Diego as well as from individual workers. Recently the local defense council has taken up the rent problem in an effort to curb further increases through a fair-rent committee.

The Pratt-Whitney and the Hamilton Standard Propellor divisions of United Aircraft are located in East Hartford, Conn. The city of Hartford proper has to provide for the housing of a fast-expanding labor force at these plants as well as for its own defense workers. In Sepember 1940 a survey showed that Hartford had a gross vacancy of nine-tenths of 1 percent. New workers, unable to find living quarters in the city, have had to commute for distances as great as 60 miles. Local residents of Hartford soon felt the impact of a housing demand for which there was no adequate supply. During the period October 1939 through April 1941, 38 out of every 100 homes had rent increases. The rental problem has become a subject of widespread agitation in the Hartford area. A special report was prepared by the Hartford Council of Social Agencies, which had become alarmed over the problem of mounting evictions among their clients. In June 1941 an aldermanic committee was appointed to investigate exorbitant rent increases. The chairman of this committee has reported that within the course of a few weeks he received 150 complaints of rent increases averaging from $7 to $10 a month. "Tenants who are evicted because of inability to meet the increases have no place to go," was Alderman Wechsler's comment on June 24.

ORDNANCE PLANTS

For reasons of military necessity, new ordnance plants are being built in comparatively isolated areas, far from large centers of population and with little or no available housing for the thousands of workers required to operate the plants. The Government has exerted itself to prepare for the influx-arrangements were made to utilize all possible housing facilities in rural communities and outlying farms; funds were allocated for defense housing projects. Despite these efforts, a shortage of rental housing could not be avoided. Wherever new ordnance

SOURCES: SURVEYS BY THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS AND BY THE WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION

every coneivable form of shelter. gone, and the plants are in operation, but the new rent level which has been vacant units. During the construction period some 10,000 workers were housed in In April 1940 the census found that both communities together had a total of 35 Radford and Pulaski in Virginia are the sites of ordnance and powder plants. Most of the construction workers have since

RENT SURVEYS OF SELECTED DEFENSE AREAS FOR BETWEEN OCTOBER, 1939 AND JUNE, 1941

ORDNANCE

PERIODS

SOURCES: SURVEYS BY THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS AND BY THE WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION

CHART 93

(See chart 93.) in the Burlington area, Iowa-the same distress of high rents has been reported. Ohio; in the Milan-Humboldt area, Tennessee; in the Childersburg area, Alabama; town, Ind., area; in the Union Center area, Indiana; in the Warren-Ravenna area, plants had to be erected in the Radford-Pulaski area, Virginia; in the Charles