LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

SIRS: I have the honor to transmit herewith the Seventh Annual Report of the Housing and Home Finance Agency covering the housing activities of the Federal Government for the calendar year 1953.

In this Seventh 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.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONTENTS OF PART I

Overall Report of the Housing and Home Finance Agency

Office of the Administrator

INTRODUCTION.

CHRONOLOGY OF SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN HOUSING, 1953.

ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE OF THE HOUSING AND

HOME FINANCE AGENCY...

SECTION 1. THE OVERALL HOUSING PICTURE IN 1953

CHAPTER I. SALIENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE HHFA..

A. A year of review and development_-_.

B. Housing progress_

CHAPTER II. HOUSING IN THE ECONOMY IN 1953..

A. Housing production...---

B. Materials and labor supply-

C. Costs, prices, and wages.........

D. Home financing - - - - -

CHAPTER III. HOUSING SUPPLY AND NEEDS..

SECTION 2. ACTIVE OPERATING PROGRAMS OF THE HHFA

CHAPTER IV. SLUM CLEARANCE AND URBAN REDEVELOPMENT_

A. Types of Federal assistance to localities.

B. Types of projects eligible for Federal aid.

C. Major policy developments in 1953-

D. Operations-----

E. Coordination and liaison...---

F. State legislation and litigation_

CHAPTER V. THE SECONDARY MORTGAGE MARKET: FEDERAL NA-

C. Lanham Act housing-.

E. Status of purchasing authority-.

F. Administration_ - - - -

CHAPTER VI. DEFENSE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES-

A. Defense housing---

B. Defense community facilities and services..

CHAPTER VII. OTHER ACTIVE PROGRAMS-

A. College housing program. -

B. School construction program..

C. Special housing aids in disaster areas.

SECTION 3. PROGRAMS IN LIQUIDATION

CHAPTER VIII. HOUSING RESEARCH PROGRAM.

CHAPTER IX. OTHER PROGRAMS IN Liquidation_

A. Alaska housing loans----

B. Prefabricated housing loans..

41

42

44

44

48

50

50

52

53

55

58

58

59

61

D. Advance planning of non-Federal public works..

62

E. Maintenance and disposition of World War II public works..

64

Page

SECTION 4. SPECIAL STAFF ACTIVITIES IN THE OFFICE OF

THE ADMINISTRATOR

CHAPTER X. STAFF FUNCTIONS.

CHARTS

A. The scope of staff functions in general.

B. International housing activities...

C. Special problems and approaches in housing of minorities....

CHART 1. Housing and Home Finance Agency-Office of the Ad-

ministrator___.

CHART 2. Housing and Home Finance Agency.

CHART 3. Private nonfarm housing starts___

CHART 4. Permanent nonfarm dwelling units started..

CHART 5. Prices and production of building materials.

CHART 6. Homebuilding costs..........

CHART 7. Average weekly earnings in building construction_ - - .

CHART 8. Nonfarm mortgage recordings and FHA and VA home

loans.

CHART 9. Outstanding mortgage debt on 1- to 4-family nonfarm

homes.

CHART 10. Outstanding mortgage debt on total nonfarm housing—

Dec. 31, 1953---.

CHART 11. Housing conditions by family income-1950.

CHART 12. Federal National Mortgage Association.

CHART 13. Status of FNMA authorization..........

APPENDIXES:

A. STATISTICAL AND FISCAL TABLES..

1. The Housing Economy:

TABLE 1. Permanent nonfarm dwelling units started: 1925-53-----

TABLE 2. Permanent privately owned nonfarm dwelling units started:

1935-53----

TABLE 3. FHA and VA starts compared with total permanent pri-

vately owned nonfarm starts: 1935-53--

TABLE 4. Dollar volume of new construction put in place: 1925-53--

TABLE 5. Boeckh indexes of dwelling unit construction cost: 1925-54-

TABLE 6. Indexes of production of selected construction materials:

1925-53_

73

74

79

TABLE 8. Estimated mortgage debt on 1- to 4-family nonfarm homes:

1925-53----

TABLE 9. Nonfarm real estate foreclosures: 1926-53-.

TABLE 10. FHA and VA home loans compared with total recordings:

75

76

77

78

80

81

1939-53___.

81

TABLE 7. Indexes of wholesale prices of selected building materials

and other commodities: 1950–53.

2. Housing Programs Federal agencies (tables relating to HLBB,

FHA, and PHA will be found in other parts of this report):

TABLE 11a. FNMA home financing activity during 1953 and at end of

1953...

TABLE 11b. FNMA participation in defense, military and disaster

housing program during 1953 and at end of 1953.............

TABLE 11c. FNMA home financing activity, by month: 1953...

TABLE 11d. FNMA home financing, by calendar year: 1938-53---

TABLE 11e. FNMA sales and purchases, by month: 1952-53..........

82

83

84

84

85

A. STATISTICAL AND FISCAL TABLES-Continued
2. Housing Programs-Continued

Page

TABLE 12a. Slum clearance and urban redevelopment under Title I,

Public Law 171: 1949-53----.

87

TABLE 12b. SCUR operations and Federal assistance, by locality:

through December 1953....

TABLE 138. Lending activity under the college housing program:

1950-54-

TABLE 13b. Applications and construction activity under the college

housing loan program: 1950-54----.

TABLE 14. Number of projects under Title II of the school construc-

tion program: 1950-54--

TABLE 15. Defense community facilities under Public Law 139:

1951-53----

TABLE 16. First and second advance planning programs: 1944–53_--

TABLE 17. Lending activity of the Alaska housing authority under

Public Law 52: 1949–53----

95

96

97

98

99

100

TABLE 18. FHA insuring activity in Alaska under Public Law 52:

1949-53-----

101

TABLE 19. FNMA authorizations in Alaska under Public Law 52:

1949-53.

102

TABLE 20. The prefabricated housing lending program: 1946–53.-..

TABLE 21a. Veterans Administration, summary of home loan

103

guaranty operations: 1944–53___

104

TABLE 21b. Characteristics of VA loans closed: 1948-53_

105

TABLE 22. Summary of the farm housing program under Public Law

171: 1949-53--

106

TABLE 23. HHFA Programs in the Federal Budget_-

107

B. EXECUTIVE MESSAGES AND FEDERAL LEGISLATION

AFFECTING HOUSING IN 1953---

108

A. Executive messages--

B. The Congress and Federal legislation..

C. PUBLICATIONS OF THE HHFA..

108

109

125