Self-help In Housing
SIR,—The first two of fifty houses which fifty workers from Fort Dunlop are building in their spare time are now occupied. Eight others are nearly finished; and licences have been granted to complete ten more this year. Here, successfully demonstrated, we have an idea which in the present emergency could make a splendid contribution to the push for houses. With the call for greater production coming on top of a labour shortage, alrearip acute, in the building industry, it would be of first-rate practical Usefulness if municipalities would give a lead and show the thousands ready to do so how they can set about building their own houses in their spare time. The desperate need for houses is obvious, and enthusiasm for self-help building, competently directed, can, and is, achieving in a number of instances truly remark- able results.
The potential labour force is enormous. Since our own enterprise became known, we have been overwhelmed with enquiries, asking us how to go about it, from housing associations, industrialists, teachers, clergymen and Rotarians in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. We have told them how, in the leisure hour i of twelve months, our fifty workers fitted themselves to begin building under a full-time foreman when they came off their daily shift, in the factory, sticking it out at week-ends, during holidays, and by floodlight when the evenings drew in. That achievement has inspired houseless people everywhere who are only too eager to follow suit if They could be given the chance.—Yours
President, Fortitude Housing Association. 163 Benedon Road, Sheldon, Birmingham, 26.
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