LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

SIRS: I have the honor to transmit herewith the First Annual Report of the Housing and Home Finance Agency covering the housing activities of the Federal Government for the calendar year 1947.

The Housing and Home Finance Agency was created by Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1947, effective July 27, 1947, as the permanent peacetime Federal housing agency and succeeded the war-emergency National Housing Agency.

In this First Annual Report, the Housing and Home Finance Agency records the activities and accomplishments of the Office of the Administrator and the three constituents of the Agency-the Home Loan Bank Board, the Federal Housing Administration, and the Public Housing Administration, as well as the National Housing Council.

Sincerely,

RAYMOND M. FOLEY,

Administrator.

THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

WASHINGTON. 25, D. C.

PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, UNITED STATES SENATE,
WASHINGTON 25, D. C.

Over-All Report of the Housing and Home Finance Agency

Office of the Administrator

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER I. SUMMARY: 1947, A YEAR OF TRANSITION.

THE HOUSING MARKET IN 1947

CHAPTER II. HOUSING SUPPLY, NEEDS AND PRICES--

A. The Nature of Our Housing Supply...

B. Housing Needs...

C. Prices and Costs...

CHAPTER III. TOWARD MEETING THE NEED.

A. Construction Volume in 1947.

B. Materials for Housing..

C. Manpower for Housing......-

D. Financing Home Construction and Home Ownership.

17

E. Federally Aided Housing in 1947---

2472

C. Housing Policy: Reconversion Period..

D. Housing Policy: Post Reconversion_.

CHAPTER V. THE HOUSING AND HOME FINANCE AGENCY-

A. Establishment of the HHFA..

B. HHFA Personnel and Budget.

C. The National Housing Council.

D. HHFA Studies and Publications

CHAPTER VI. OFFICE OF THE ADMINISTRATOR_

A. Summary of OA Activities..

B. OA Personnel and Budget.

C. Lanham Act Functions..

D. Technical Activities- - -

CHAPTER VII. URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT_

CHAPTER VIII. INTERNATIONAL ASPECTS OF HOUSING ACTIVITIES.

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A. STATISTICS AND TABLES. - -

Table 1. Estimated Number New Permanent Nonfarm Dwelling Units

Started, by Type of Financing and by Year: 1920–1947_-_-

Table 2. Estimated Number New Permanent Nonfarm Dwelling Units

Started, by Type of Financing and by Month: 1946-1947__

Table 3. Estimated Number New Permanent Nonfarm Dwelling Units

Completed, by Type of Financing and by Month: 1946-47.

Table 4. Production of Selected Building Materials by Years, 1939-

1945, and by Quarters and Months, 1946-1947..

Table 5. Price Indexes for All Commodities, All Building Materials,

and Selected Building Materials_.

Table 6. Estimated Average Monthly Number of Man-Months of

Work on New Construction by Type of Construction by

Year: 1939-1947----.

Table 7. Estimated Average Hours of Work and Earnings in Building

Construction by Year: 1934–1947---

Table 8. Comparison of Administrative Expense for HHFA, Fiscal

Years 1947-1948___

Table 9. Summary Comparative Statement of HHFA Income and

Expenses, Fiscal Years 1947-1948---

Table 10. Consolidated Statement of War and Emergency Housing

Funds as of December 31, 1947...

APPENDIX B. SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN HOUSING: 1947-

APPENDIX C. PUBLICATIONS OF THE HHFA..

A. Office of the Administrator Publications..

B. Federal Housing Administration Publications.

59

C. Public Housing Administration Publications _ - -

APPENDIX D. ORDERS, MESSAGES AND FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL

LEGISLATION AFFECTING HOUSING IN 1947.

60

A. Executive Orders and Messages-

60

B. The Congress and Federal Legislation.

C. State and Local Housing Legislation.

INTRODUCTION

Part one of the First Annual Report of the Housing and Home

Finance Agency presents summary data on the Government's role in

housing during 1947 and information on housing activity in general.

This part of the Report includes data on the over-all activities of the

Housing and Home Finance Agency as well as details on the activities

of the Office of the Administrator of the HHFA. Specific detail on

the programs and activities of the Home Loan Bank Board, the Federal

Housing Administration and the Public Housing Administration will

be found in parts two, three, and four respectively of this report.

The material presented in part one is in two major sections: The

Housing Market in 1947 and the Role of the Government in Housing.
In addition there are four appendixes. Appendix A contains various
statistical tables; appendix B is a chronology of significant events in
housing during 1947; appendix C is a listing of HHFA publications;
and appendix D is a round-up of Executive orders and Federal and
State legislation during 1947 affecting housing.