Evening star., 1940-05-11
City Leadership
Is Urged 10 Prevent
Decay Of Sections
Chicago Acts to Salvage
Values Of Residential
Areas Near Business

The failure Of city authorities to
take the leadership in preventing
the decay Of property adjacent to
business districts, when it might be
turning tax revenue into city treas
uries, was sharply criticized today
by Fred w. Catlett, member of the
Federal Home Loan Bank Board.
These properties are privately
owned. it is true" declared Mr.. Cat
lett. "and a great share of the blame
rests on the owners, many Of them
absentee landlords. But the indi-
vidual often is powerless to act by
himself and nothing is going to be
done toward rehabilitating these
areas-and conserving the value of
other properties which have not yet
reached serious stage of decline
unless civic authorities take the lead
In definite rehabilitation and con-
servation program"
The drift of home seekers to the
suburbs and the activity Of opera
tive builders and real estate con-
Germs IN new housing developments
on the outskirts Of cities, have in
tensifled the problem in the last few
years. Mr.. Catlett pointed out. En-
tire residential areas near down.
town districts, and even those con-
sidered "the best part of town" a
short time ago, now are marked by
For Sale" and For Rent" signs,
with many of the houses in dilapi-
dated condition from neglect.
Chicago Case Cited.
Cities not only are losing the di-
rect tax revenue from these dis
tricts, Mr.. Catlett emphasized, but
the abandonment of Utilities which
serve them will represent q still
greater loss in the future. He cited
Chicago as an example Of q city
where the visitor leaves the LOOP"
and at once finds himself in districts
to the south and west which gradu-
ally are being abandoned to decay.
many properties even being boarded
up.
Chicago is no worse than many
other cities in the country" said
Mr.. Catlett, "and, as a matter of
fact, today it's the scene of one of
the few attempts to find an answer
to the problem. In the Woodlawn
district, near Jackson Park and
Lake Michigan, a conservation
rehabilitation program already is
under way which may provide a
model on which other sections of the
city can be reclaimed.
about $4,000 persons live within
this area, In a variety of buildings
ranging from frame and masonry
houses of the 1870's to apartment
hotels built in 1929. Many apart
ment houses have been converted
into cheap rooming houses and kit
chenette apartments. Lack of rec
reation space, obsolescence of street
patterns and many buildings, and
general congestion have tended to
cause property values to decline.
Many Join for Action.
But residents of the neighbor-
hood have joined in a conservation
program, under the sponsorship of
the Chicago Plan Commission. An
executive com mittee has been
formed which includes not only
leading citizens, but representatives
Of the Home Owners Loan Corp.
tho Federal Housing Administra-
ton, the Reconstruction Finance
Corp. and the University Of Chi
cago, which owns property in and
adjacent to the area"
The initial study and survey Of the
district has been designated as q
w. p. A. project, with $45 900 to $780,
600 contributed in w. P. A. white
collar" labor and services, according
to Mr.. Catlett. The Plan Commis-
sion is providing some $23, 900, with
funds and services contributed by
various neighborhood interests,
banks, utility companies, the univer-
sity, the Real Estate Board and
many others.
This section of Chicago definitely
Is determined to see what can be
done to preserve and increase prop
erty values" said Mr.. Catlett. But
in Chicago, as in all other commu-
mites, the success Of the movement
is dependent on the cooperation of
city authorities. As a matter of fact,
no one will gain more than the city
It Is losing tax revenue every time
~ yAry,oife a ooio1horI,ooj - .SooJs.~