Evening star., 1942-10-20
Warning to Capital Parasites
Takes Shape as Leasing Threat
Owners Of Convenient Town Houses Face
RemodeI-ond- Rent Housing Formula

OF three things: Charge $75 for each
apartment and pay the owner $3.50
on his lease; cut the rent to $50,
thus allowing the landlord the same
amount he was receiving before the
conversion, or it might split the
difference, giving the owner some
profit, It the same time allowing
the tenants a partial reduction in
rent.
Rent Law May Rule.
The District Rent Control Act
probably will offer some guidance
on these questions. So far, no an
nouncement has been made by
MIA, whose attorneys are currently
trying to figure out some fair meth
cd OF determining charges.
In many of the homes selected
for conversion, any remodeling MIA
may do will be an improvement
which the owner won't regret. Hous-
ing officials. however, concede the
possibility that an owner who allows
his home to be converted into
several dwelling units for wartime
purposes might want the place re-
turned to him later as a single
family house. Unofhcially, it is be-
lleved home-oWners may be able
to strike bargain with the MIA
which would provide for recon-
version after the war.
In any event, so long as the pro-
gram remains voluntary, the home
owner will have the upper hand in
any dickering that goes on. If he
doesn't like the kind of a deal the
Government is prepared to offer
him, he won't need to accept it.
But If it becomes necessary later
to use compulsion, Federal officials
may have to work out some sort OF
an equitable policy to take care OF
such situations.
Outlying Homes Safe.
Home-owners in the outlying resi-
Dental districts have nothing to
fear. They will not wake up some
morning to find a crew of work
men converting the dining room
into kitchenette apartment, even
If MIA is empowered to requisition
private homes. Housing officials
are not interested in developing new
transportation headaches within the
District.
AS matter of fact, there are
still scores of accommodations to
be had in outlying areas-room.
and apartments that have been
listed with the Defense Housing
Registry for months. Government
workers simply don't care to live
too far away from their work
Most Of them prefer to take more
expensive and less desirable QUAR-.
ters closer to the heart of the CITY
Within a very short time, housing
officials say, definite boundary lines
defining the acceptable areas fol
the lease-and-remodel program. will
| be drawn. No one connected with
the program is quite ready at thi.
point, however, to put himself out
on limb by attempting to guess
how far out this line will 60.
1t Is no secret that housing off,
clals, for a long time, have cost q
covetous eye toward certain large
town houses" occupied by a single
family, in many cases only during
what was once the Capitals socia'
season. Many such mansions are
within reasonable" distance from
downtown, it Is pointed out, and
would readily lend themselves tt
conversion.
England Took Control
England, faced with the problem
of finding quarters for evacuees from
London and with providing new
shelter for persons bombed out Of
their homes, long ago took a firm
| grasp on housing. British authori.