Evening star., 1937-02-26
The Housing Bill.

The Wagner-Ellenbogen housing bill
passed the Senate last June after brief
debate, but never reached vote in the
House, rejecting a lack of interest or
GOODNESS toward its provisions by the
administration. Addressing lower East
Side audience in New York last october
during the campaign, the President made
gracious references to Senator Wagner's
efforts in behalf of better housing, how
ever. and predicted that "the next Con-
gress will start us on our way with a
sound housing policy"
This year Senator Wagner has joined
hands with Representative Steagall of
Alabama in authorship and introduction
of revised housing measure which may
be regarded as rejecting administration
policy. It is based on the conclusion
that private industry and the States
are not able to attack the problem of
slum elimination or to provide decent
housing for low-income groups without
Federal financial assistance and direc-
and loans administered by an independ-
ent United States Housing Authority,
equipped with broad powers of eminent
domain for the acquisition of property.
In effect, the Authority would make loans
to local agencies and limited dividend
corporations and supply grants for the
payment Of interest and part of the
amortization. The loans would make
Immediately available large amount OF
cash, while the grants would commit the
Federal Government to relatively small
annual expenditures in the form of sub
sides designed to lower rent levels.
Considered on its merits as a housing
bill, the measure doubtless provides a
sound approach to the problem Of sup
plying low-income groups with the de-
cent housing that is otherwise beyond
their means. It has the collateral ad-
vantages Of slum clearance-or slurn
reclamation-and the stimulation Of the
building and building g-supply industries.
Possibly its objectives are bit scattered.
More emphasis might well be placed on
the reclamation Of slums, in line with
the thought expressed in the recent re-
port of the Housing Committee, Dis
trict Chapter, American Association of
Social Workers, that adequate provision
of good housing for low w-income families
is impossible as long as unfit dwellings
continue to exist" The Slums, as long
as they exist, continue to compete with
better housing The bill should not at
tempt to confine reclaimed slum areas to
public use alone, as in some cases they may
be better adapted to private development
for other uses. Perhaps the bill should
conf1ne its subsidies to slum reclamation
and preparation Of site, and not run the
risk Of increasing costs of construction
by making construction subsidies avail
able. Little of value can be demon
strated In the possibilities of low-cost
housing construction as long as such
construction is partially subsidized. But
these and other considerations will re-
ceive proper examination in hearings on
the bill
1t is difficult, however, to consider the
Wagner bill on its merits, notwithstand-
ing its praiseworthy objectives. The bill
must be examined in relation to other
measures, enacted or pending, with
equally strong or stronger adminiStra-
ton backing. All are based on concep-
ton of practically unlimited Federal re-
sponsibility and power which must
accompany it. The Federal Govern
ment must be responsible not only
for the immediate care of the unem-
ployed, but for insurance against the
hazards Of future unemployment; not
only for the support Of the aged, but for
insurance against hazards Of future old
age; not only for emergency subsidies
to tide the farmers over immediate diff
culties. but for insurance against future
hazards of crop failure; not only for the
provision of better homes for those
who now live in squalor in rented
slum dwellings, but for better farms,
better dwellings, for the poverty
stricken tenants who now rent their bare
acres The question is the ability to
discharge such responsibilities without
inviting even greater evils than those
which now beset us