Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Alaska offices. The city selected in each area was that from which the insuring office receives the greatest number of applications and in which the type of construction is most representative of construction in the entire area served by the insuring office. An additional factor in selecting the particular city was the availability of cost data continuously over a period of years. The data used in preparing the estimates were those that the insuring office would use if an application for insurance on this house were received in the office. The selection of a house presented some difficulties because of the considerable variations in specifications and design in different sections of the United States. For this reason it was decided to choose a house which, though perhaps not actually constructed in certain sections of the country, could be built in all sections. The house selected is illustrated in the sketch plan below. The materials specified are noted in the list on pages 331-332 of quantities used in preparing the estimates. The construction is generally typical of that found in many sections of the country. SPECIFICATIONS The house is basementless, being supported by concrete-block foundation walls and piers. The floor is constructed of 2- by 8-inch joists with a subfloor of 1- by 8-inch boards. Select oak flooring is laid over felt and finished by sanding, shellac or varnish, and wax. The exterior walls are beveled siding over felt and board sheathing. The framing is 2- by 4-foot studs. Gable ends are the same as the exterior walls. The roof consists of 2- by 6-inch rafters with 1- by 8-inch solid sheathing, covered by felt and 210-pound asphalt shingles. Walls and ceilings are 21⁄2-inch gypsum dry wall, painted with 3 coats of enamel on kitchen and bathroom walls and ceilings and 2 coats of casein paint on the rest of the walls and ceilings. All exterior wood and interior millwork and trim have three coats of paint. Windows are wood, double-hung, weatherstripped and have full-sized galvanized screens. Interior wood doors are 1%-inch, 2-panel; the exterior doors are 14-inch 6-panel colonial for the front entrance and 14-inch with glazed top for the rear entrance. The kitchen cabinets are wood, mill-made, with linoleum counter top and back splash. The kitchen floor is of asphalt tile with plywood underfloor, and the bathroom floor is ceramic tile with ceramic tile wainscot 4 feet high around the entire room. Plumbing fixtures are good quality of standard grade. Electrical wiring is nonmetallic sheathed, with standard-grade outlets, switches, and lighting fixtures. The ceiling is insulated with 2-inch mineral wool. No heating has been included in the estimated cost because of the wide variations in type and size of heating systems that result from differences in climatic conditions, availability of fuels, and popular demand. The estimates include costs for a brick chimney with an 8- by 12-foot flue, and for front-and-rear entrance platforms and steps. Connections to sewer, water, gas, and electric lines are included only to a point 5 feet beyond the foundation walls, because of variations in the distance that dwellings may be set back from the street. No costs are included for seeding or sodding, planting, sidewalks, driveways, or street improvements. FLOOR PLAN AND SECTION The illustrated sketch plan indicates locations for the range and refrigerator in the kitchen and the heater in the utility room, but no costs are included in the estimates for these three items of equipment. COST ESTIMATES The estimates of cost include materials, labor, subcontracts, workmen's compensation insurance, public liability insurance, unemployment insurance, socialsecurity tax, sales taxes, incidental job costs, and general overhead and profit. They do not include architectural services, the cost of the lot, land development, carrying charges during construction, financing costs, fire insurance, or hazard insurance. The estimated costs for building this house in the 70 selected cities are listed below. These are the amounts that the insuring offices would have determined as the estimated costs for this house on January 1, 1953. In addition to demonstrating differences in costs in the various insuring office areas, the estimates may also indicate to an insuring office the need for restudy of the cost data used for a particular locality in processing applications for insurance. This is particularly true with respect to costs being used by 2 separate insuring offices in preparing estimates for houses which may be situated in 2 contiguous localities served by the respective insuring offices. Responses received from the insuring offices since the issuance of the first study have revealed the continuing interest with which the offices are observing changes in cost levels in their areas as compared with changes in other areas. Although the comparison of costs is generally reliable and to a great extent indicative of general cost levels in the area of each insuring office, it should be fully understood that the comparative costs listed may not be indicative of cost levels in all localities served by the individual office. Differences in the types of construction prevalent in individual areas or sections of the country may result in significant differences in costs. MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT The following is a detailed list of the quantities of specified materials and equipment required to construct the dwelling and included in the estimates of cost: 40 cubic yards of excavation for crawl space. 9 cubic yards of trench excavation for foundations. 7 cubic yards of backfill around walls. 118 lineal feet of 8' x 16'' concrete wall footings (1-3-5 mix), forms 2 sides. 4 concrete footings 24" x 24" x 8" (1-3-5), forms. 355 square feet of concrete block walls, 8" thick. 3 concrete block piers, 16" x 16" x 1'10". 8 screened cast iron foundation vents, 8" x 16". 120 lineal feet of 4'' tile footing drain with crushed stone. 34 lineal feet of 6" x 8" #2 built-up wood girder. 121 lineal feet of 2" x 6" #2 wood sill with anchor bolts 8'0" on center. 22 lineal feet of 4'' brick chimney with 8" x 12" T. C. flue. 1,267 square feet of exterior frame wall made up of 2" x 4" #2 studs 16" on center. 1" x 8" # 2 horizontal sheathing. 3 coats of lead and oil paint. 897 square feet of 2" x 8" # 2 floor joists 16" on center with cross bridging. 897 square feet of 1" x 8" #2 S. E. subfloor laid diagonally. " 608 square feet of 2532′ x 24" select oak floor, including 15-pound felt and finishing. 840 square feet of 2" x 4" #2 partition studs 16" on center. 897 square feet of 2" x 6'' #2 ceiling joists 16'' on center. 1,041 square feet of roof consisting of- 2" x 6" #2 roof rafters 16" on center, 12 slope. 1" x 8" #2 roof sheathing. 210-pound asphalt shingles with 15-pound felt. 69 lineal feet of 26-gage galvanized iron gutter. 40 lineal feet of 2%" x 34" 26-gage galvanized iron downspouts. 4 cement splash blocks. 3,469 square feet of 1⁄2'' gypsum dry wall, taped. 1,063 square feet of 3-coat enamel on walls and ceilings. 2,406 square feet of 2-coat casein on walls and ceilings. 8 interior doors, 2-panel, 1%'', including frame and trim. 329 lineal feet of 2-member pine base. 14 wood double-hung windows, weatherstripped and with full-size 1%" wood mill-made screens of galvanized cloth. 2 plain exterior entrance door frames with simple trim and weatherstripping. 1 exterior door-6-panel colonial, 14", weatherstripping. 1 exterior door-top half glazed, 14", weatherstripping. 2 mill-made 1%" wood screen doors, galvanized. 2 triangular gable peak wood louvres, screened. 2 pair of wood batten shutters, fixed. Mill-made wood kitchen cabinets as follows: Wall units: 1-18'' x 30'. 1-36" x 24". 1-36" x 30". 7 lineal feet of linoleum counter top and splash back. 1 metal medicine cabinet. 1 plumbing access door. 1 attic access door. 1 crawl space access door. 191 square feet of light color asphalt tile, grease-proof, on %'' plywood floor. 28 square feet of ceramic tile floor, white. 85 square feet of ceramic tile wainscot, white. 1 set of 5 china bath accessories. Plumbing installation as shown on sketch plan and consisting of— 1 recessed bathtub with overhead shower and curtain rod. 1 lavatory. 1 water closet. 1 double-compartment kitchen sink. 1 double-compartment cement laundry tray. 1 automatic gas hot water heater, 30 gallons gas distribution for cooking and hot water. 1 soil and vent stack. 1 waste and vent stack. 20 lineal feet of interior house drain. 2 sill cocks. 33 nonmetallic electric outlets and wiring, including service entrance and distribution panel. 8 lighting fixtures of medium grade. 897 square feet of 2'' mineral wool batt ceiling insulation. 38 square feet of 4" concrete entrance slab with 8'' concrete block foundations. 8 lineal feet of concrete step for entrances. Mr. MCDONOUGH. That is all, Mr. Chairman. The CHAIRMAN. Are there further questions? The CHAIRMAN. Mr. O'Hara. Mr. O'HARA. Mr. Winston, your association is located in the city of Chicago, in what I think is the finest congressional district in America, which, Mr. Chairman, is the Second District of Illinois. The CHAIRMAN. We assume it to be, Mr. O'Hara. Mr. O'HARA. Mr. Winston, you are familiar with the situation, I know, as regards housing in the city of Chicago? Mr. WINSTON. To some extent, sir. Mr. O'HARA. As a member of this committee, and a member of the Congress, I want to be helpful as much as I can in getting legislation that will give to the people the maximum amount of housing possible. I want to go along with the administration as far as I can in trying to get a good housing bill. I hope that our suggestions for amendments to that end will be helpful. Having in mind the situation in Chicago, what changes would you suggest in the bill that we have before us as regards public housing? Mr. WINSTON. This bill has few amendments to the 1949 Housing Act. The changes I would suggest would be to eliminate the 1954 and 1953 restrictions, which do not provide more than 20,000 in 1 case, and 25,000 units per year in another case. Those are the major amendments that ought to be made legislatively right now. There are other minor amendments which we have covered here, one of which is the |