CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSING PROJECTS FOR WORKERS
Document Type:
Collection:
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST):
CIA-RDP80-00810A005800160008-6
Release Decision:
RIPPUB
Original Classification:
S
Document Page Count:
2
Document Creation Date:
December 21, 2016
Document Release Date:
June 17, 2008
Sequence Number:
8
Case Number:
Publication Date:
February 23, 1955
Content Type:
REPORT
File:
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
![]() | 117.76 KB |
Body:
Approved For Release 2008/06/17: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005800160008-6
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
Tlsc a&betal aoatatao in nneftm aN P-1ft tha Rn-
ttonai Daemon at Go Unttd /lobo within tha awan-
1a a[ tiw iiL. pa Iaw% TLW 1$ U.S.C. Mat 7q
and 7N. me panamt dm or wisU"on at which in
any manaar to an %mnuthaelad puma is womm"d
bylaw.
SECRET - U.S. OFFICIALS QTLY
SUBJECT Construction of Housing Projects for
Workers
DATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
REPORT
DATE DISTIL.
NO. OF PAGES 2
REQUREMENT NO. RD
THE SOURCE EVAWATIONS IN TINS ANNORT AN DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE IIEVNEE)
1. The Enterprise for Workers' Housing Developments (Zaklady Osiedli Robotniczych-
ZOR), controlled by the Ministry of Construction, constructs complete housing
projects for workers, i.e. apartment houses, shopping centers, schools, kinder-
gartens, recreation halls, etc., except clinics and hospitals. It built 25X1
approximately 36,000 dwelling rooms in 1949, 81,000 in 1951, and 105,000 in
1953. The total figure up to the and of 1953 was around 383,000 dwelling
rooms. The company's construction plan for 1954 was 100,000 to 110,000 dwel-
ling roans, of which 20,000 were to be built in Warsaw. Construction work
was in progress in 205 localities throughout the country.
2. Due to the acute housing shortage, the annual plans forced on the company far
exceed its potential capacity. The engineers in charge, fully aware of this
fact, have no choice but to use every possible method to fulfill the plans even
if the result is poorly built and finished houses. Because of constant pres-
sure by the authoiriti on the company to finish the houses at the earliest
possible date, tenants have been allowed to occupy their apartments before the
water and power installations are completed. One factor in the company's
difficulties in fulfilling the excessive plans is the shortage of building
materials, such as cement, pipes, etc. Another reason for the company's
inefficiency is the lack of adequate supervision and technical control. The
controllers' work is based on the norms and premiums system, and so their only
interest lies in fulfilling their norms as quickly as possible and getting
enough additional houses inspected in order to earn cash premiums.
3. The natural consequence of the speedy execution of the building is faulty and
poorly built houses which need repairs almost as soon as the tenants move in.
In 1952-53 approximately 25,000 man work-days were spent in Warsaw alone on
the repair of houses built by the ZOR. In Nowa Huta the majority of workers
engaged in the erection of new houses had be be diverted to repair work on the
existing houses. Efforts have been made recently to improve the quality of
the work and remedy the chaotic state of affairs in the finished and semi-
finished housing projects. The "handing over of faultless houses" (bezusterkowy
IX-T
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0
SECAST - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
NAVY All
23 February 1955
.n
Approved For Release 2008/06/17: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005800160008-6
SECRET - U.S. OFFICIAT ONLY
odbior objektu) is the new slogan of the company, but compromises are still
being made and houses without outer plaster, without laundry facilities, and
without garbage disposal arrangements are still being turned over to tenants.
4. A control commission of the company inspects the completed houses and classi-
fies them in four categories: Very good, good, satisfactory, .and unsatisfactory.
Those classified.i unsatisfactory are not turned over to tenants until the
defects have been rectified. In the begiming of 1954 more than 50 per cent
of the inspected new houses were declared unsatisfactory, but the ratio decreased
in the course of 1954 to less than 30 per cent. The decrease was caused by the
easing of the regulations and of the controllers' strictness, and not by the
improvement of building standards.
5. According to the latest directives, houses must not be turned over to tenants
without the outer plaster, and workers' housing projects must be handed over
complete with shopping center and other auxiliary buildings. However this
directive has so far been complied with only in very few places, such as Nowe
Tychy, Silesia; Gdynia; and Bialystok.
6. Plans are being made to turn over minor repair work on new houses to small
groups of building artisans who will operate independently in every voivodehip,
and to create a subsidiary company ehich will carry out only major repair
works on new houses built by ZOR. The regional artisans' groups, with a com-
pletely decentralized operation, and the future subsidiary company should
relieve ZOR of the present heavy burden of repair work and enable it to utilize
its full potential in the construction of new housing settlements.
SECRET - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
Approved For Release 2008/06/17: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005800160008-6