HOME-BUILT HOUSES
By BARBARA McKECIINIE
THERE has been ample and dramatic evidence, since this article was first drafted, of the lengths to which homeless people in this country are prepared to go, with or without instigation. Such self-assertion might be avoided if those in authority, instead of allowing a great potential source of energy to dissipate itself in a demoralising and fruitless search for houses that don't exist, set our ex-Servicemen to build their own homes. It is reasonable to expect that the first adverse reaction to this suggestion might come from the trade unions. Well, trade unions or no trade unions, one of the things that surprised me most during a three-month visit to Sweden was that hundreds of men and women in the suburbs of Stockholm have built and are today building their own homes—and Sweden is a country where the Social-Democrats have been the largest single party since 1914, with full control in 1924 for a four- year period and again from 1932 to the present day. Their policy, however, is not one of uncharitable discrimination against private enterprise to the detriment of house-production. In fact, a Housing Commission appointed by a Socialist Government, after making several recommendations on the building of houses, ends by saying: "Finally, as regards housing production (their italics), this may in the main be left, as hitherto, in the hands of private builders."
The next point that occurs to most people is the availability of materials. In the last analysis, it is the spirit with which this problem is being tackled here that is the cause of shortages and delays. When he issued his now famous directive to build harbours for the Normandy beaches, Mr. Churchill did not require builders, contractors and operatives to fill in hundreds of forms before they could obtain a licence to get on with the job. Rather he insisted they should not argue over the difficulties, but get on with the job. If the demand for building materials were met in the same spirit, there is just a chance that they would be forthcoming for the con- struction of houses as they were for the construction of Mulberry Harbour. The capacity at least is there. In March this year, Mr. Tomlinson stated in the House of Commons that out of 929 brick- works closed during the war, 373 still had not been granted licences to re-open. In May the output of bricks was only 4o per cent. of the monthly pre-war average. On July 14th the Minister of Works also revealed at Eccles that slate-production was less than half the pre-war output, while approximately r,000,000 more tiles are sold each week than are being produced. (The conclusion must be that the Government is drawing on stocks.) There may be something to be said for the review of the Order in Council whereby the Government has imposed penalties, ranging up to seven years' penal servitude, for people found guilty of building or repairing houses without a licence. The idea of setting people to build their own homes in Sweden was born of private enterprise. From 1920 the movement grew steadily, and was eventually taken over by the City of Stockholm, a municipality wise enough to recognise that the best social assistance that can be rendered, both from an educational and economic point of view, is to help a man to help himself. As a result, there are over 5,000 houses in Stockholm's garden suburbs which have been built by the people who own and live in them. The number of different types is, at present, restricted to two. But these two houses are not sub-standard as are the temporary bungalows being erected in this country. They are approved by and conform to the building requirements of the City of Stockholm. Building in' this country is governed by the Ministry of Health Model By-Laws, 1936, though every local authority has the privilege of modifying them to suit local requirements. It is certainly not beyond the powers of our local authorities to design a house conforming to their by-laws, and yet rationalised and standardised sufficiently to enable some of thoss on their long waiting-lists to build them. One place in which the Englishman can be relied upon to take the initiative in construction or repairs, and the one place in which that initiative is least likely to be impeded by regulations, shortages of materials—and least of all shortage of willing labour—is in his own back-yard. That would remain true even if the back-yard had no house adjoining it.
The City of Stockholm collaborates by standardising materials and preparing component parts in factories in such a way that un- skilled men and women can handle them. Thus, walls are supplied in sections with doors and window-frames inserted. All wood-work is cut and ready for fixing. Staircases, cupboards, wardrobes, shelves, etc., only require fixing into position. Entrance steps are cast in forms ready for placing ; even the chimney is made of standardised concrete blocks with inset hollow bricks for the flue. Reinforced steelwork is cut to its right length and bent as required before delivery. Balustrades and metal fittings are treated in the same way. The owner even finds it possible to instal his heating-apparatus. The city arranges for the delivery of all materials and components to the site, and places contracts for such ssork as the owner cannot execute himself—sewerage, gas, water, electricity. Skilled instructors are provided to direct and supervise the work where necessary, and the burden of finance and book-keeping—so inevitable with every building—is also taken off the shoulders of the owner-builder. This leaves the excavation work, the mixing and laying of the concrete foundations and the greater part of the labour on the superstructure to be done by the owner himself, with help from his family and friends. This contribution, the labour, is considered the equivalent of a cash payment, and is deducted from the total cost of his house.
The most popular type of house is a three-room-and-kitchen bungalow, with a central-heating boiler, bathroom, laundry and general workroom in the basement. These cottage-bungalows and their well-kept gardens are a great credit to their owners. I was shown over a number, and, without exception, they were neat, clean and well-furnished, exhibiting a standard of culture and education among the lower group of wage-earners which is far above our own. There were often original oil and water-colour paintings on the walls and English classics on the bookshelves. The furniture was practically designed, and the colourings of curtains, carpets and covers were always bright and cheerful. The children were healthy, happy and well-behaved ; these families, whose menfolk earn their living as taxi-drivers, waiters, clerks, shop assistants and so forth, have learnt to take a pride in their homes. The authorities them- selves consider that those who put forth such an effort develop into the best type of citizen and tenant. Even park-keepers say that children coming from these houses are less destructive and cause less annoyance than any others.
Although such a scheme has proved beneficial to a capital city like Stockholm, the shortage of land in England would prohibit its adoption in our large towns and cities. Nevertheless, there are the sorely-neglected rural areas of England and Wales, as well as the urban and rural areas of Scatland, where such co-operation between the local authority and the prospective house-owner would work wonders in alleviating the hardship caused by bad housing conditions, and at the same time give ex-Service men and women an incentive for which to live and work.
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