Evening star., 1944-04-06

Says Builders Could
Meet Need Only
With Public Aid
Mrs. Roosevelt doubts that private
builders could ever build housing
developments for low-income groups
without "a certain amount of public
help she said at a press conference
today.
Asked to comment on hearings now
being conducted by the Senate Dis
trict subcommittee on housing con-
dltlons here, Mrs. Roosevelt said she
understood private builders think
they can make a better showing
than public housing agencies toward
retaining the Districts slum areas.
I'VE have to have that proved,
however" she said. Private build
ers can only do it with a certain
amount of public help"
She bases this belief, she said. on
her conviction that private builders
could not borrow money at rates of
interest low enough to enable them
to build housing for rent at low
rates. With at least some public
assistance this would be possible,
however, she said. She added that
a considerable amount of planning
on a wide scale" would be neces-
sary to insure success of any CO.
operative slum reclamation effort
by private builders and public hous-
ing agencies.
Opposes Bilbo Proposal.
Although she refused to comment
directly on requests by District citi-
zens that Senator Bilbo be removed
as chairman of the Senate District
Committee, Mrs. Roosevelt did say
that District alleys should not be
closed to occupancy before other
housing is provided for the present
tenants of the alley dwellings. Sen
ator Bilbo has demanded that all
alley dwellings be evacuated by July
l, a date set by Congress in leg
islation passed 10 years ago.
At the Capitol, rebuttal testimony
in defense of the National Capital
Housing Authority and the proposed
public housing program for slum
reclamation was to begin today, John
Ihlder, NCHA executive officer, was
scheduled to testify when the Senate
subcommittee studying the Dis
trict's slum problem resumes hear
ings this afternoon.
Mr.. Ihlder has indicated he prob
ably will need six 2-hour sessions
to reply to the numerous charges
hurled against the NCHA in recent
weeks and to argue against the
slum PROCLAMATION plan offered by
his principal opponents, members of
the Washington Home Builders As
sociation.
The NCHA received support yes
terday afternoon from two of three
colored social workers who appeared
before the subcommittee to describe
the seriousness of slum conditions
in colored communities here. They
were Miss Marjorie Baltimore, chair
man of the U Street Neighborhood
Council, and James M. Montgom-
cry, vice chairman of the Central
Neighborhood Council and teacher
in Terrell Junior High School.
Cooperation Asked.
The third witness, Charles H.
Flagg, chairman of the Housing
Committee of the Washington Coun-
Gil of Social Workers, called for the
public housing agency and private
builders to bury the hatchet" and
work together in the effort to wipe
out the slums.
Mr.. Flagg said he had been pre-
pared to make "derogatory state
ments" about the private builders,
until last week when the builders
followed up their opposition to the
NCHA's slum reclamation proposal
by introducing plan of their own
directed toward the same goal. The
builders plan calls for a repre-
sentative slum clearance board
which would condemn existing slum
properties, clear away the substand-
ard dwellings, and sell the land to
private enterprise for redevelopment
with low-rent housing.
The builders plan is revolution
ary, but is both feasible and work
able" Mr.. Flagg said.
Terms NCHA "Stimulating."
He said however, that the NCHA
should be continued because of its
stimulating effect on private enter
Iprise." The public agency should
stand by, ready to take over and
operate any of the low-rent re-
placement housing constructed by
private builders under their slum
reclamation plan if rents began
climbing upward or the new dwell
ings were not kept in good repair.
Miss Baltimore called attention to
the critical shortage of housing for
colored families in the District, and
asked that the NCHA be given funds
so that more and better dwellings
can be provided for the colored
population. While she said that
private enterprise has mot met the
needs by any means" she added
that "some satisfactory plan might
be worked out" under which private
enterprise would do the building
under Government subsidy.
Mrs. Fry Bequeaths Funds