Evening star., 1941-09-26
Housing Association
Director Indorses
Rent-ControI Bill
Mrs. Helen Hoffman Urges
Speedy Enactment
Of Proposal

IN the Stars story yesterday on
the rent control legislation hearing
conducted by special House sub
committee. a part of the statement
of Mrs. Albina Brenton, representa-
tive of the Washington Assembly OF
the C. I. o. Womens Auxiliaries,
inadvertently was attributed to Mrs.
Helen Duey Hoffman, executive di-
rector of the Washington Housing
Association.
Mrs. Hoffman'S statement was in
support of the bill introduced last
week by the Council for Joint De-
fense Housing Committee. This bill
would fix rents at the September
1910, level, but provides for upward
revision of rents where increased
costs are shown. Mrs. Brenton
specifically favored none of the bills
introduced on the subject, but did
urge enactment of some form OF
rent control legislation.
Mrs. Hoffman's statement, part
of which was carried yesterday, was
in answer to statement MADE
earlier in the hearings by Repre-
sentative Dewey, Republican, OF
Illinois.
Text of Statement.
Mrs. Hoffman's statement follows
In full:
THE statement of the first witness
at the recent hearing indicates
misunderstanding. The index OF
rents as published by the Bureau OF
Labor Statistics, cost of living re-
port for September Is, 1910, shows
the index of rents in Washington on
September Is, 1910, had reached the
average level Of rents in Washington
for the entire period of 1885 to 1889,
and not for the period of 1885 alone.
"In the same publication is table
OF indexes of the cost Of living as OF
September Is, 1910. for manual
workers family at maintenance level
in which the average cost of housing
in Washington is the highest of any
of the 81 cities shown. The average
rental in Washington stood at lib
per cent higher than the next high
est rental city, New York, and II per
cent higher than Chicago.
This rent control bill is prepared
for Washington, D. c., and not Tor
Chicago or any other city.
THE fear of home-oWner who
rents out a room or two that the
rent received will be reduced IS
unfounded. The object of this bill
is to stabilize rents at the normal
rate ana not to reduce them.
There is no evidence Of increased
tax costs to these homeoWnerS, since
the tax rate on real estate has not
been raised. even under the budget
for the coming year. II the taxes
should be raised later. the law pro-
yides for adjustment of rents.
THE tax strike in Chicago men
toned by the witness. according to
the newspapers, was based upon the
depression factors - unemployment
of the homeoWner. so that he was
not able to pay either his taxes or
his mortage There was a second
factor in that there was no fair basis
for assessment, so that owners OF
rental properties found wide dis
crepancies in their assessments.
The bill, H. r. 5673, In its final
form, has the approval of the Iegis-
lative Committee acting for the
board of the Washington Housing
Association. 1t meets the objectiveS
of the Washington Housing Associa-
ton as set forth and has been i'm
proved to meet the objections of
individual members Of the board,
except for the appointment Of the
administrator and since the board
was not agreed upon this it became
q minor point.
The association approves the sug-
gestion that new construction
should submit their proposed rent
for approval, since otherwise jerry
builders would rush in as they did
in the last war, which would penal
ize landlords who have resisted
profiteering.
Since the law is quite explicit, the
administrators decisions will be
final unless found by the court to
be not in compliance with the law
These decisions will not be stayed
pending an appeal to the courts.
This makes it possible for the land
lord and tenant to know what the
rent will be pending the adjust
mentS.
"On the whole, the association
considers tbis a good bill and be-
lieves that it should be enacted
promptly"