Highways and Better Housing

Highways and Better

THE service a highway depart-ment may render to a state or to the several geographical sections of a state neither be-gins nor ends with the con-struction of a road.

There are two outstanding essentials which enter into highway planning and building, and fortunately for the people whom it serves, the Arizona State High-way Commission recognizes both. In the first place, now that the primary highway system of the state is nearing completion, new roads designated must penetrate those regions which are sus-ceptible to the greatest development and will attract the largest number of people for the greatest good of the state at large. Secondly, a road being com-pleted, it becomes the interest of the highway department to encourage the use of that road by the largest possible number of the people for the most widespread benefit of the state as a whole.

Arizona, year by year, is depending more and more upon its tourist traffic and its winter and summer visitors, or, to put it another way, on its scenic and climatic attractions, for its annual in-come. Recognizing that important fact, the Arizona State Highway Department each year is extending its system of improved and paved roads into districts which offer a maximum of drawing power to tourist business, and it is em-ploying every resource at its disposal to promote the use of those highways.

But the highway commission cannot be expected to do it all. There are two other essential factors which govern direction of travel. A highway must be interesting to look upon, it must be as free as possible from those eye-sores which, subconsciously, repel the trav-eler.And the region penetrated by a highway must offer housing facilities to provide comfort to the tourist and to the temporary resident. Some por-tions of Arizona are woefully deficient in both of those respects.

It becomes, therefore, the responsibility of communities to look about them and to set their house in order; to learn where they are lacking and to find the remedy.

Paved highways carry the visitor into some of Arizona's most attractive scenic districts. Along the way he passes groups of ramshackle dwellings; he buys his gasoline and oil from shabby and ill-kept service stations; he must eat in dingy, poorly equipped restau-rants or lunch stands; and when he gets to his destination, he finds no place to stay. Result: he doesn't go, he doesn't remain, or he takes his camping and cooking equipment with him and goes off by himself into the hills or forests where he does not have to look upon the shabbiness maintained by man.

That, of course, applies by no means to all of Arizona; but it does apply to far too many sections of the state. And it accounts in large measure at least for the difference in degree of prosperity between similarly favored districts.

The property owner, the business man and the innkeeper along the high-ways has not kept pace, in many cases, with the development of the highway system, for the very good and sufficient reason that he has not had the money to buy the materials with which to re-model and improve his holdings, and not because the potentialities of his business do not justify such investment.

There is no longer such a barrier to surmount. The Federal Housing Administration, recognizing the needs of those districts, has made regulations which permit them to rescue themselves.

Listen to what Thomas J. Elliott, director of the housing administration for Arizona, has to say about it: "Everyone interested in highways knows, of course, the difficulties and discouragements which meet any attempt to induce owners to improve their properties and to remove the so-called eye-sores which infest our highways, particularly at this time when few property owners have ready funds for this type of work.

"Under the National Housing Act passed by Congress a year and a half ago, the Federal Housing Administration was authorized to insure character loans when made by private lending institutions such as banks, building and loan associations and finance companies, to alter, repair and improve real property. The procedure set up to handle this type of credit is extremely simple.

The individual seeking credit merely applies to his local bank or other financing agency for the sum needed and fills out a statement on which his credit rating can be made. Upon investigation, if he proves a good credit risk, an amount is advanced of not over $2,000 for a period of from one to five years to be paid back in equal monthly installments. The proceeds are used to defray the expense of the improvements

Housing

of his property when the job has been completed.

“The financing agencies offering this service are insured by the Federal Housing Administration against losses to the amount of 20 per cent of the total sum advanced by them, as an inducement to them to make this credit available to the people who desire to improve their properties and as a means of encouraging property owners to improve their properties, thereby providing a market for the materials and labor.

“The plan of the Federal Housing Administration should be a material asset in any program for the development and beautification of the highways. It is possible, for example, if his credit is satisfactory, for the owner or the lessor of a gas station to alter or improve his property to make it more at-tractive to the motorist and thereby in-crease his earnings. He can put in drive-ways with adequate curbing; he can landscape his property; he can remodel his station to make it more architectur-ally harmonious; he can replace unat-tractive oiling pits and grease racks with more modern and more attractive equip ment, and in general raise its character.

“This is true, too, of the roadside stand or of restaurants which can provide adequate parking facilities and attractive landscaping, and it is true also of tourist courts and hotels. They may

The Two Are Interlocking Factors That Work Together in Progressive Arizona

remodel or alter their buildings, they may refinish the exterior and re-equip the interior, or make other improvements to their property which will not only make it more attractive to look upon but will serve as an inducement to the passerby to stop and give patronage.

“Credit also is permitted for the demolition of existing buildings, which should make possible the removal of some of the old, outmoded, ugly structures now standing. This, too, should help highway authorities to secure co-operation from owners to remove those obstructions which prevent an adequate view of the highway.

“The Federal Housing Administration has promoted the formation of Better Housing Campaign Committees in the majority of cities and towns of Arizona, as well as in the other states of the nation, and these committees are prepared to co-operate in programs to develop and beautify the highways. The administration also has issued a booklet, 'Property Owners,' which describes the plan and contains suggestions concerning procedure and ways in which properties may be improved.” And be it said here, the plan suggested by the Federal Housing director is not based on theory. It has been tried and tested and it works. Dozens of property owners along Arizona highways have profited by it, and it will serve hundreds of others within the next few months.

By way of example just one out of many a tourist court owner in an eastern Arizona community was trying to eke out an existence by renting to motorists a group of little ramshackle frame cabins. They needed repair. His resources were low. He sought an FHA loan with which to remodel his buildings. The housing administration valuSenator could not see it that way. The investment did not look good. But-The tourist court operator also owned an old brick warehouse building adjoining the tourist court. The housing administration representative suggested that he tear down the warehouse structure, which was unoccupied and useless for other purposes, and use the materials to replace, one by one, the frame cottages with durable buildings. It was agreed. Less than $2,000 was borrowed and the work was done, including plumbing and other modern equipment.

The tourist court owner found that the rate of his income increased, almost over night, by more than $400 monthly, and he still has nearly five years in