Built by the Housing Committee
Built by the owner, who had some resources
Grant and Loan Houses
Frequently arrangements were made between the owner and the contractor whereby certain alterations were made on payment of $50 to $70 in addition to the contract price. Steps cost $10 more; a better foundation, often necessary because of a deep slope, $10 to $20 additional; larger windows $20 to $40 extra; a dormer roof instead of a gable, $40 more. All departures from the original contract were supposed to have the approval of the committee, but its consent was not always obtained.
In cases where the owner lived nearby, or on part of the same lot, and could maintain a general supervision, or as in a few instances, where the lot owner and contractor were old friends, the houses erected by the committee’s contractors were substantially constructed.
As already stated, only 93 of these applicants, or about 10 per cent, owned the houses in which they were living at the time of the disaster. The value of the residences owned before the disaster and after are given in [Table 91].
TABLE 91.—VALUE OF HOUSES OWNED BEFORE AND AFTER THE FIRE BY APPLICANTS RECEIVING AID UNDER THE GRANT AND LOAN PLAN[218]
| Value of houses | APPLICANTS OWNING HOUSES OF EACH SPECIFIED VALUE | |
|---|---|---|
| Before fire | After fire | |
| Less than $500 | 1 | 174 |
| $500 and less than $1,000 | 4 | 533 |
| $1,000 and less than $1,500 | 12 | 104 |
| $1,500 and less than $2,000 | 14 | 28 |
| $2,000 and less than $3,000 | 24 | 14 |
| $3,000 and less than $4,000 | 16 | 3 |
| $4,000 and less than $5,000 | 9 | .. |
| $5,000 and less than $6,000 | 3 | 1 |
| $6,000 and over | 5 | 2 |
| Total | 88 | 859 |