Evening star., 1938-10-11
AMERICAS S[UMS
DECLAREDDO
Straus Gives Assurance in
Address Before Housing
Association.

lll alllCl ia uOOLllCu iva
than Straus, administrator of the
United States Housing Authority, said
with assurance today on the eve of the
first anniversary of the Authority s
work He spoke in the opening pro-
gram of the four-day convention of
the National Association of Housing
officials The convention, being held
at the Wardman Park Hotel, has at
tracted 1000 delegates.
This year." Mr. Straus said of the
q. S. H. AS year, has witnessed the
beginning of great cooperative en-
terprise between the Federal and local
governments, a movement which must
eventually guarantee a decent home
for every American family of low in
come. I share with you, l am sure,
my conviction that this one year has
also demonstrated the soundness of the
method adopted by Congress to accom-
plish this purpose"
Explains Purposes.
Mr.. Straus said in explanation of
the purpose:
Low rents, reasonable building
costs, better sanitation, pleasanter
nelghborhooos, more efficient cities
perhaps these may seem petty aims
in world torn by gigantic ambi-
tions and tragic fears, But. as the
great PHILOSOPHERS Thomas Mann re-
Gently pointed out. the housing pro-
gram which is aimed at the needs
and reasonable well-being of the
population has a certain magnifi-
cence just because it is so practical"
The administrator remarked of the
steps to date in the movement for
better housing under the u S. H. A.:
There are 100000 people living
in communities today which have
established local housing authorities.
There are at least 100000 people
living in sizable communities which
do not have housing authorities and
in States which have housing legisla-
ton permitting the setting up of local
housing authorities Immediately. There
are also 100000 people living in
stable communities in those States
with no legislation permitting housing
authorities to J.. established"
5000 Units a Week.
Mr.. Straus said that his agency was
proceeding with its work at the con-
struction rate of 5000 dwelling units
Q week.
Stewart Mcdonald administrator of
the Federal Housing Administration,
told The convention that while his
agency has insured the expenditure
ton and home repair, much larger
expenditures are needed to solve the
problem of improper homes.
W. w. Alexander, administrator of
the Farm Security Administration,
which guides the New Deals rural
housing program, said:
In our eagerness of the last few
years to wipe out the evils of our city
slums, we Americans have often over
looked the fact that virtually all these
evils are equally present in Our rural
slums.
Since 1885 the Farm Security
Administration and its predecessor. the
1tcSCUGlclllSllb <Adlulllotl 1SlOll, Aiof We
made modest beginning toward an
improvement of Americas rural hous-
ing standards If our handicapped
farm families are to have even the
minimum housing to which all
humans are entitled. they must be
given the same kind of a system which
already has begun to rescue our low
fyoy,a tho Sl1IY11S -
Other Speakers on Program.
Other speakers on the program in
cluded: John H. Fahey, chairman of
the Federal Home Loan Bank Board;
Rear Admiral C. J. Peoples, chairman
of the Central Housing Committee, and
John Ihlder, executive officer of the
Alley Dwelling Authority.
Among the other District officials
and citizens who will appear before
the convention during the sessions
are Franklin Thorne, manager OF
Langston Terrace low-cost housing
project; Boris Shishkin, acting exec
utive secretary Labor Housing Con-
ference: Anthony Wayne Smith, sec
retary, Committee on Housing Of the
C. I. O., and John A. McIntire, exec
utive director, Institute of Municipal
Law Officers.
Today was given over to prellmi-
naries of the convention, which to-
morrow will conduct round-table dis
cussions of these eight subjects:
Local authority organization and
procedure, public relations and pub
licity for housing agencies, housing
standards and costs, raising the funds
and paying the bills, quasi-public
agencies and neighborhood rehabilita-
ton, housing management, demolition,
the use of housing surveys.