May 24, 1971 Washington, D. C.
CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF BUILDING SCIENCES
WHEREAS, the National Association of Home Builders has long supported uniformity through national standardization as evidenced by such standards as the National Electrical Code, the 1 & 2 Family Dwelling Code and the various standardization programs of organizations such as American National Standards Institute, and
WHEREAS, the lack of uniformity continues to plague the building industry with needless costs due to difficulty in acceptance of new technology, and
WHEREAS, there is a need for centralization of: Development, promulgation, and maintenance of nationally recognized performance criteria, standards and other technical provisions for maintenance of life, safety, health, and public welfare suitable for adoption by building regulating jurisdictions and agencies, including test methods and other evaluative techniques relating to building systems, subsystems, components, products, and materials evaluation and prequalification of existing and new building technology,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that NAHB supports the principle of the establishment of a non-profit, non-governmental organization directed and operated by persons representative of all appropriate private, trade, professional and labor organizations including adequate representation of the residential building industry, private and public standards, codes and testing bodies, public regulatory agencies and consumer groups, and that our support of such an organization be conditioned on the mandatory use of existing research, technology development, testing and evaluation, laboratories and organizations, and other building code and standards agencies with recognized competence in the field of residential building, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that NAHB support the encouragement of the acceptance and use of nationally recognized performance criteria, standards and other technical provisions developed for use in state and local building codes and other regulations which result from the program of the organization.
WHEREAS, the housing industry should encourage production of functional housing at a cost commensurate with the purchasing ability of families of all income levels, especially those with low and moderate incomes, and not excluding those who choose housing methods which best serve their purposes and, where possible, without direct Government subsidy, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Association of Home Builders seek the enactment of legislation and regulations which make available Government guaranteed financing at reasonable rates and terms, purchasable by FNMA, for the financing of all types of functional housing built to the ANSI Standard or an equivalent thereto where such guarantee is within the scope of reasonable prudence, and that these programs be available for the purchase of a home and a site as well as the purchase of a home on a leased site.
HOUSING STARTS AGAIN OVER 2 MILLION MARK The seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts hit a new monthly record of 2,228,000 units in August. It was the third straight month that the starts rate went over the 2 million mark, and only the fourth time since data has begun to be compiled. The single family rate was over the 1 million mark for the sixth straight month. The August rate was 1,221,000 units, up 3.7% from the revised July figure of 1,178,000 units. The multi-family was over the 1 million mark for the second month in a row, despite a slight decrease from July. In August, multi-family starts were at a 1,007,000 unit rate, down 3% from the revised July figure of 1,037,000 units. Regionally, the South set a new record when the seasonally adjusted annual rate reached 1,001,000 units. This is the first time that any region has climbed over the 1 million mark. This was 14% over the revised July figure of 876,000 units. The North Central region showed a rate increase of 10%, up from 455,000 units to 502,000 units. The other areas had decreases, with the Northeast down 16%, from 310,000 units to 254,000 units, and the West down 19%, from 583,000 units to 471,000 units.
202,900 units, up from the revised July figure of 195,900 units. August production was 54% above last year's figure of 131,600 units. Actual starts so far this year have reached a total of 1,391,400 units, 48% above the 938,100 units produced in the same period last year. Actual starts of singles were up 5%, from 106,900 units in July to 112,500 units in August, and multi-family starts were up 3% from 86,200 units to 88,900 units, in the same period. Regionally, the South increased 16%, from 75, 100 units to 87, 100 units, and the North Central area increased 19%, from 40,000 units to 47,600 units. the other hand, the Northeast declined 19%, from 31,900 units to 25,800 units and the West decreased 11%, from 46,200 units to 41,000 units.
BUILDING PERMITS STILL HIGH . . The seasonally adjusted annual rate of build- ing permits dropped slightly in August, but remained over the 2 million mark. Although permits dropped 2%, from 2,052,000 to 2,008,000, they were 45% above the August 1970 figure of 1,387,000. Regionally, only the South showed an increase. The South was up 2%, from 790,000 to 807,000, while the Northeast was down 5%, from 313,000 to 298,000, the North Central was down 5%, from 428,000 to 407,000, and the West was down 5%, from 521,000 to 496,000.
IN SUMMARY The year 1971 should end as a record year. Two million starts would be slightly over the 1,952,000 level reached in 1950. In terms of dollar expenditures, measured in constant dollars, 1971 will be 60% over the level of expenditures in 1950. In terms of living space, measured in square feet, 1971 will be about 50% higher. The August 2 million level of building permits suggests still another period ahead of high levels of starts. This is the first time in our history that we have achieved continually for a period of three months a 2 million rate of starts. For the first time since housing goals were set in 1968 the rate of production is reaching levels set by the Congress.
* Farmers Home Administration starts have been reduced by 20% to adjust for rehabilitated units which are included
Bureau of the Census, Federal Housing Administration, Farmers Home Administration, Veterans Administration. Home starts include rehabilitated units; FHA project starts exclude rehabilitated units from Januray, 1968.
FHA Home Starts include rehabilitated units. FHA Project Starts exclude rehabilitated units. Farmers Home Administration Starts for the last month reported have been revised downward 25% by the NAHB Economics Department to adjust for rehabilitated units and existing unit purchases. All other figures reflect actual starts.
Public Housing is as defined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and includes conventional, public, leased and turnkey. Effective January 1971 units are shown by month reported not month started.
Bureau of the Census, Federal Housing Administration, Farmers Home Administration, Veterans Administration.
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