University of Virginia Library

Study Commission Report Reveals
Substandard Virginia Housing

By J. FENWICK MONTAIGNE

The Virginia Housing Study
Commission, in a report released Monday,
disclosed that one third of the state's
housing is either substandard or
unacceptable.

The commission report was submitted
to Linwood Holton, Governor of Virginia,
who called the situation intolerable.

For two years, the commission has been
studying the housing situation in Virginia, and
has formulated three recommendations from its
study.

The commission recommended that the
state establish a department of housing, a
uniform state building code, and a housing
development authority. Mr. Holton strongly
endorsed all three of the commission's
recommendations.

Mr. Holton stated that he would consider
the passage of the proposals in the legislature a
major accomplishment of his administration.
The commission chairman, State Senator James
C. Turk, stated that legislation is now in the
process of being drafted.

The most important reason for finding
housing substandard was a lack of adequate
indoor plumbing. The report did not mention
all specific criterion that determined whether or
not a house was considered substandard.

Even though two thirds of the state's
population lives in urban areas, the report
stated that two thirds of the inadequate
housing units were located in rural areas.

The report showed that the low and
moderate income families living in the state had
to compete for substandard housing, due to the
construction industry's inability to provide
adequate housing at all income levels.

The report revealed that over 300,000
housing units in the state either had to be
substantially refurbished or replaced. The
report also stated that over the next ten years,
just to be able to house the expected increased
numbers of population, a minimum of 250,000
units would have to be constructed throughout
the state.

Inadequate Codes

Insufficient statewide housing policies,
present local laws and codes concerning the use
of materials in home construction, and a lack of
sufficient finances, were all listed in the report
as major causes of the state's substandard
housing.

The lack of a uniform state building code
was cited by the commission as a large obstacle
in the way of achieving adequate housing. All
members of the commission desired a state
building code that would make use of low-cost
construction techniques. Some local building
codes throughout the state now prohibit the
use of such low-cost techniques.

Unanimous Recommendation

The commission unanimously recommended
that the department of housing "improve the
quality and supply of housing as well as to
administer state housing policy."

The commission recommended the sale of
tax exempt bonds to help obtain funds for the
proposed housing development authority. The
housing development authority is designed to
furnish capital for those people unable to
obtain conventional financing, and to help
private businesses in housing construction.

Mr. Holton stated that the newly created
agencies could be staffed by persons already
employed by the state, and he hoped that their
employment would not create a large added
expense to the state.