Evaluation of the Urban Homesteading Demonstration Program. Volume III: The Rehabilitation of Urban Homesteads

摘要

This evaluation assessed the effectiveness of urban homesteading as a means of rehabilitating one - to four - family properties, which depends on the success of individual homesteaders in managing the planning, financing, and carrying out of needed repairs. Approximately 400 urban homestead properties in 23 demonstration cities were inspected by licensed architects at the completion of repair work; homesteaders and local program officials were interviewed. Data were collected on physical characteristics of the property, the tasks performed during rehabilitation, the division of work between homesteaders and contractors, the cost of contracted repairs, the inputs of homesteader labor by task and trade, and on the quality of workmanship and the choice of materials. The characteristics and condition of the properties before and after repairs are compared by viewing rehabilitation as a process which accepts as inputs FHA foreclosed 1 - 4 family properties in serious disrepair and which produces as outputs repaired urban homesteads meeting all the requirements of local housing codes. Findings show the properties selected for urban homesteading to be typical of central city single - family housing stock in age, but smaller than average owner - occupied dwelling units. Average repair costs estimated by HUD were about $6,500; actual costs of rehabilitation averaged approximately $12,400. Over 75 percent of the properties required work in electrical service, insulation, plumbing, finish carpentry, structural alterations, interior finishes, plaster and drywall, and site work. Homesteaders contributed an average 297 work hours and 27 percent of the total value of the rehabilitation work. Both the tasks performed and the materials chosen generally met good quality trade or professional standards of workmanship and home building. Measured by current space and service quality standards, 79 percent of the urban homesteads met the former, but only 40 percent were rated as meeting minimum plumbing and electrical service requirements. These results indicate that HUD's standards for rehabilitated properties may be overly stringent. Tabular data and survey instruments are provided.