Evening star., 1942-03-02
|Low-Rent Housing
Financed by U. 5.
Held Fantastic Idea
Representative Torver
Argues Government Shoule
Abandon Projects

BY the Associated Press.
Low-rent housing projects financed
by the Federal Government were
described as a fantastic idea,' by
Representative Tarver. Democrat OF
Georgia, in records of hearings on
Agriculture Department appropri-
ations published today.
Representative Tarver expressed
his description during discussion Of
the cost. of the Greenbelt housing
project 1nd returns TO the Governs
mens DIis the einvest1nens:s ,s1 s4
Committee Not Able to Act.
"I dislike to see anybody pay any
more rent than they are able to pay,
nor any more than is reasonable for
persons in their circumstances, -
Representative Tarver declared "but
I do think this whole fantastic idea
of trying to furnish everybody in
this country with low-income decent
quarters in which to live at a rea-
sonable price at Government ex-
pense ought to be abandoned: but
1 do not think it will be right away.
I think it will be, eventually, but I
do not know of anything that this
committee can do about it"
Earlier the House committee had
been told by C. B. Baldwin, admin
istrator of the Farm Security Ad-
ministration, that the total invest
ment at Greenbelt was approx
mately sl3,7oo,ooo.
Rents Adjusted to Income.
MIR. Baldwin said Greenbelt was
primarily to provide relief and,
secondarily. it was to provide homes
for Iow-income people. both Gov
ernment workers and others. ."
"If we were out running straight
real estate operation in Greenbelt
and were not trying to and had not
adjusted the rents in proportion to
the capacity to pay of the income
group being served there we could
get much higher income from the
investment-much shigher income
than is now beiSg obtained"
Transfers Cancelled.
Asked by Representative Tarver
whether the Government contem-
plating getting rid" of Greenbelt,
he replied:
I'VE are row negotiating a transfer
of the three Greenbelt projects. We
want to do it in q way that will best
protect the Governments interests.
You see, the project at Greerbelt
consists chiefly of row houses-row
houses and apartment houses. L
should always be a rental PROPOSE
ton"
The three project, to which Mr.
Baldwin referred included one out
side of Cincinnati, Ohio, and another
outside Milwaukee, Wis, in addition
to the Greenbelt (Md0 project, it
was said at the F. S. A. today. AT
the time Of the hearings. it was pro-
posed to transfer all three of the
projects to local housing authorities
in the areas in which they are
located.
maj. ]. o. Walker, assistant ad-
ministrator of the F. S. A., ex-
planned today, however, that the
recent executive order setting up
the National Housing Agency has
caused cancellation of negotiations
to which Mr.. Baldwin referred Maj.
Walker said that the three hous-
ing projects probably would be
transferred from the F.. S. A. to
the N. H. A. in the near futureD
$4,000 in Income.
Mr.. Baldwin, discussing Green
belt generally, declared:
Personally, I feel that it also
should be for the benefit of low
income. families, and it should not
become o straight rental PROPOSE
ton for every dollar that it can
carry. Now, for instance, the thou
sand additional houses that are now
being constructed at Greenbelt out
of defense money = those rentals
will be set on the basis Of the abil-
ity, I would say, of the moderate
income group to pay. The rents
as most of you know, in Washing
ton for the people with moderate
incomes are considerably higher
than they are in the rest of the
country. would hate to see Green
belt ever used for the purpose OF
getting every possible dollar of re-
turn and to ignore tts primary pur-
pose"