Evening star., 1938-01-15
FEDERAL HOUSING
SEEN CONTINUING
Program Held Politically
Sound by New York
Architect.

Government housing will go for
wArd irresistibly because 1t is politi-
sal1y sound. according to Clarence s.
Stein of New York, fellow of the
American Institute of Architects.
Housing Is no longer an abstract
social or economic problem; it is a
political issue" declares Mr.. Stein in
. statement issued by the Institutes
Committee ON Public Information
TN spite of the colossal cost, Gov
eminent in these United States Is
going to house all those who cannot
AFFORD good homes, and that means a
large proportion Of the population.
We are going to have governmental
housing not because of its economic
soundness or its social soundness but
because OF its political soundness
THE trend of housing history, In
fact OF New York Citys history, was
changed when the housing develop
ments in Harlem and Williamsburg
were opened. And this is true of everv
eaty in which the P. W. A. has erected
houses.
W." NNpse FA'sSJV.VVV.
These two developments will cost
e17.75o,0oo, and will house 2,1e4 fami-
lies In the II square miles of slums
and hlighted areas In New York there
kved over half . million families who
paid hess than $50 4 month rent In
1884. For this number 2.1s4 families
were selected TO live III the new apart
msnts. They have been chosen by A
governmental agency to live in houses
erected by their Government and 70
b paid for by 1t.
They cannot afford to pay for
6,am. Their rent Of s7.l0 per room,
including gaA. electricity, heat and
water. will not do much more than
pay for the operation and mainte-
nance Of the buildings. These 2,194
families have comfortable, safe, sun
ny, hs&proof. dry. sanitary, compara-
tiveay spacious living quarters. They
hsve escaped from the prisons in the
dirty, dark. damp, crowded tenements.
BIT they have left behind in those
Gums half . million families. some
two million people. who still live In
e1uAlor and darkness
What are these two million going
10 do when they see these new houses
paid for by their Government from
which they are excluded? think they
ars going around to see their district
leader. and I think the district leader
Is going to see the big boss, and at
every political headquarters in New
York they are going to talk housing
tust a though they were bunch Of
reformefs.
Will Demand New Houses.
TT Is not going to be necessary to
get out all the old social arguments
for housing any longer. There Is no
need OF proving that it is economically
sound. Now that they know 1t can be
done. now that they have seen it done,
two million people in New York are
going to insist that they have decent
new houses. Can any political party
Withstand such . demand?
"As far ~ housing Is concerned. all
differences Of party point Of view are
going 70 Be wiped out, In our large
cities anyhow. Republicans, Demo-
Gratis, radicals, Bourbons are all going
to shout for housing-governmen
housing for al who need decent. we'll
run homes and cannot afford them.
The question Is not shah We rebuild
ctr cities, but how shall we organize
10 carry out the work? What shall the
Government do--ths cities and States.
~ Vel as the Nation--to see that the
job Is veIl done?"
1t b apparent, Mr.. Stein points out,
that It Is not only o,ir so-called slums
that sra IN the red-that do not pay
thsr municipal running expenses
but the greater part Of our cities.
From this. he adds, I'VE might con-
crude:
The poor cannot pay more than
ehng sst toward rent and taxes.
~Oar American standard Of living
y not based on what the poor can
a0oFd-thedr ineome-but on q myth
Cd economic system that does not rs
yee sxist
In 20 far a. the municipal or other
oo~srnmental agencies supply facilities
% the poor beyond their means to pay,
d must distribute their costs among
cthef members Of the community"
That the distribution OF costs on
che basis Of what each can paw is
necessary = particularly apparent in
the feid Of education, Mr.. Stein says. /
In Cleveland the average cost of
educating . child u $S1 . year" he
explains. 1T there were three chill
dren In . family and q family were to
pay the cost Of schooling, it would
take $243. This Is quite a sum, 10
~ssek' wages for . man earning $24 a
week-and = large part Of Cleveland's
families earn less than $24 . week. Is
II strange that for education in the
C&sveaand alum area, the net cost of
which vas 1851 1927, only $s0,745 was
collected?
Education - web n slums. il an
expensive luxary for any country to
maintain. Cleveland's net loss for the
sfasn district Of $27l,1s2 is due to
poverty far more than bad housing.
Ihs cost Of government will be in
creased when the district is rebuilt If
the same inhabitants are rehoused.
There viii be the cost Of the houses
and their development which must be
sdhsadissd. For the very poor can
pay little more than the operation and
maintenance costs Of decent houses