Evening star., 1942-02-06
Capital Facing
'Rationing' Of
Living Quarters
Housing Conference
Told Of Crowdine
In Washington

Washington ultimately may need
some form of rationing of housing
accommodations to cope with its
rapidly growing population, Leifur
Magnussen, member of the Board of
Directors of the Washington Housing
Association, told the National Pub
he Housing Conference at its 18th
annual meeting at the Washington
Hotel today.
Elaborating on this statement to
reporters later, Mr.. Magnussen said
he did not have in mind program
Of distributing living quarters to give
priorities to defense workers, al
though he said that ut may come to
that later"
The purpose Of the rationing pro-
gram for housing, he explained,
would be to bring about the utiliza-
ton of available living quarters in
Washington which are not now being
offered for rent.
Form of Communicating.
Under a strict rationing system,
he said, survey would be made to
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not now being rented, and require
them to be made available to de-
tense workers and others.
Mr.. Magnussen said 1t would be q
form of communicating unused liv-
ing quarters. He praised the Dis
trict's rent-control act, but declared
1t did not 60 far enough, and that it
should have included some provision
for Communicating living quarters
which are not being offered:
A letter from President Roosevelt
extending greetings to the confer
ence was read at the opening ses-
sion of the all-day meeting by Mrs.
Mary K. Simkhovitch, conference
president.
your work has been important in.
the past" the President said. 1T
Is even more important today when
the country is engaged in the task
Of winning the war against aggres-
sion"
Essential to Defense"
The President declared adequate
housing "is morale builder and Is
essential to the speed and efficiency
OF our national defense work"
He declared the program of clear
ing sluns and providing decent
homes for the ill-housed must be
reduced substantially for the dura-
ton because of the scarcity of build
ing materials, but he emphasized
that "the goal OF a slumless America
must be preserved"
The Chief Executive said the con-
ference could make a real contribu-
ton toward postwar reconstruction
by helping to set up the proper ma
ehinery.
Rent-control provisions in the
price-control act are designed to pre-
vent speculative, unwarranted and
abnormal increases in rents and to
help prevent a spiral of imitation,
Karl Borders, chief of the o. p. A.
rent section, told the conference.
Defense Rental Areas.
He explained that the price ad-
ministrator will designate areas as
defense rental areas, and will make
recommendations for stabilizing or
reducing rentals in those areas. In
sofar as possible, the advice of local
authorities will be followed and the
various communities will be given
q free hand to take steps to control
rents. In cases where o. P. A.
recommendations are not complied
with, the Federal Government will
set maximum rentals.
B. J. Hovde, administrator Of the
Pittsburgh Housing Authority, de-
clared there is an overwhelming
need now for a unity of command of
the Nations public housing program
Urging housing authorities to "un-
button your minds" Mr.. Hovde de-
clared that local authorities are
thinking too much in terms of prof.
ects of the United States Housing
Authority, and are not tackling the
housing problem in its entirety. In
the postwar period, he said, the
Nation must replan and rebuild the
rundown areas of cities from the
bottom up, and in this work
unified command will be needed to
do really constructive job.