Evening star., 1932-11-19
RI. c. AID SOUGHT
| FOR ELIMINATING
4BL|GHTED"' AREAS
Architects Propose Board to
Control Replacement of
Buildings.
DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS
CONSIDER LEGISLATION
Plan Modelled After Acts Passed
in New York State
and Ohio.

A definite step to make the District
eligible for loans from the Reconstruc-
ton Finance Corporation for develop
naent OF large scale housing projects to
replace "blighted' areas has been taken
by the Washington Chapter of the
American Institute of Architects.
After an extended study of the mat
ter, the chapter has drafted proposed
legislation to provide for creation of a
District Housing Board to regulate en-
terprises conducted by limited profit
corporations incorporated under the
act.
The proposed legislation has been
placed before the District Commission
ers and members of the National Capt.
tai Park and Planning Commission for
consideration. John Ihlder, housing
conSultant of the planning commission
here also has been asked to review the
plan. Members of the chapter of archi-
tects hope for consideration of the leg
islation by Congress at the coming ses-
sion.
Modelled After New York.
The proposed law. it is announced,
has been modelled after the State
housing board acts of New York and
Ohio, which make those States eligible
for loans from the finance corporation
for slum clearance projects.
The chapter proposal has been draft
ed by a committee of architects. in
cluding Louis Justement, chairman;
Robert F. Beresford Gilbert L. Rodier
and Delos H. Smith. Francis P. Suli-
van is president of the chapter.
The Washington chapter, at recent
meeting went on record in favor OF
,f eI ot fAf1 or1d
its representatives have held confer
ences with Col u S. Grant, executive
officer of the Park and Planning Com
mission who Is an advocate of elimina-
ton of WaShingtons alley dwellings.
The proposed housing board would be
given direct and extensive control over
the projects carried on by private cor
porations created under provisions of
the act, including the preparation of
general plans for developments, regula-
ton Of rentals in the new developments
and power to enforce its rulings.
Stockholders in such corporations
would be limited to return not in ex-
cess of 6 per cent per year on their
investments.
Right of Eminent Domain.
To enable the building corporations to
obtain all the parcels of property needed
for creation of new housing to replace
''blighted areas" the District Housing
Board would be given the right of
eminent domain, under and pursuant
to the condemnation law.
The proposed legislation calls for an
the revenues of the District for the
expenses of the work of the commission,
to be supported in part by fees assessed
against limited dividend corporations
for examination OF plans
The law proposed by the architects
chapter is designed 'to promote pub
lie health, safety, morals and general
welfare: By providing for the elimina
ton of insanitary and dangerous hous-
ing conditions and for the construction
and supervision of safe and sanitary
housing at reasonable rentals; making a
study of housing conditions and needs;
authorizing the incorporation of limit
ed dividend housing companies and
prescribing the rights, powers and du-
ties thereof"
Seven Members on Board.
The proposed District of Columbia
Housing Board would consist of seven
members: The chairman of the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning Com
mission. the District Engineer Commits
SlDlkGI anu IIlE OAolIAII UullOAkS AlASPON-
tor, as ex-officio members; and four
citizens we'll qualified and experienced
in modern housing practice and poll
cies, to be appointed by the President,
at least two of whom are to be bona
fide residents of the District and Sc
lected on recommendation of the Dis
trict Commissioners
Members of the board would serve
without salary, except for one acting as
director of housing for the board.
The proposal for Government loans
for such housing projects is based on a
belief that the needs here go beyond
the problem of elimination of the alley
dwelling. There is need, the architects
believe, for creation of new, modern
and sanitary housing for the portion of
the population in the lowest income
bracket, now provided housing in Wash
ngton's "blghted" or obsolete dwell
ings.
This argument is presented in the re-
port of the committee of the local chap
ter of the Institute of Architects, ap-
proved recently.
Housing Overproduced.
The mounting vacancy figures for
houses and apartments" the report
states, would seem to indicate that
housing. like everything else, has been
overproduced.
The facts are, however, that hous-
ing for two-thirds OF the people has
not been overproduced, tor the very
good reason that it has never been pro-
duced at all, at least within the last
generation. 1t has been profitable to
build only for the most prosperous third
of the population.
The less prosperous two-thirds of
the TOOnlatiOO IO0Va had n r0Ova into
the abandoned houses of the more
prosperous This has resulted in the
So-called blighted areas of our cities
the worst portions of which we call
'slums'
It does not seem possible, the chap
ter report concluded, that private ini-
tiative alone would be able to solve the
problem of rebuilding the older por-
tions of American cities
Evil Effects Apparent"
THE evil effects Of bad housing for
the low income groups have been quite
apparent for at least two generations,
and private initiative, during all that
time, has not made any serious effort
TO correct conditions.
Even during these times when busi-
ness leaders of the Nation are search
ing for ways OF putting men to work
and slum clearance has been discussed,
no practical plans for solving the PROF.
lem through private initiative alone
have been advanced.
The recent relief bill in which the
sum of Sl,5000 100000 is made available
for slum clearance ana ether Self-Lq
uidating projects, limits the lending of
money to States which have a State
Housing Commission.
The rebuilding of bIghted areas
cannot be accomplished without the
right of eminent domain, right which
is given to private limited dividend COR
porations under the New York State
housing law.
Cooperation and help from the
municipality in the form of partial or
total exemption from taxes and Coop
: