Evening star., 1944-04-30
Effort Underway
Agree on
sIum Clearance
Big Issue Centered
In Extent of Share
by Private Capital
BY DON s. WARREN.


New efforts to end the battle be-
tween private builders and the Ma
tional Capital Housing Authority, as
to which should carry on Washing
tons slum clearance and rehousino
were agreed upon yester-
day after it was made clear they
are still far apart on major points.
1t was indicated one of the prin-
cipal issues is whether and under
what conditions private builders
should be permitted in the field
where Government aid is necessary
TO enable the rehoused slum DWELL
er5 to pay rents.
Chairman Burton of the Sonata
E.-trict subcommittee considering
new slim clearance legislation voiced
hope that mutually agreeable plan
would result from a Joint meeting
OF the opposing sides, which Is
scheduled for next week.
Ihlder Reads Statement.
John Ihlder, executive officer Of
the NCHA, yesterday read into the
housing hearing record a 24-page
statement in which he detailed
conditions which he held private
builders should be required to meet
If they are to be given Government
assistance. He concluded:
"NCHA should provide housing
for families whom private enter
prise cannot adequately serve with
out rental subsidies
1T is admitted that private
builders cannot, without rental
subsidies, meet the need of the
families in the District who live in
substandard housing and who can
not afford shelter rents of S35 or
more "a MONTH. 1t also is ad-
mitted that private builders are not
meeting the housing need of the
larger low-income families who re-
quire three or four bedrooms,
NCHA must provide for such FAM
lilies. 1t has been doing SO.
The NCHA graded rent system
is the most economical and effec-
tive method of providing good hous-
ing for the lowest income families"
Wilkes Challenges Ihlder.
James c. Wilkes, counsel for the
Home Builders, declared the Ihlder
statement was "replete with con-
clusions and erroneous statements
as to facts"
In the hope of bringing the weeks
OF arguments to conclusion, Sena-
tor Burton asked that the Home
Builders replies to the Ihider out
line be incorporated in a brief.
Mr.. Ihlder then asked that Mr..
Wilkes supply him with a copy so
that he might prepare a rebuttal
brief. Senator Burton said this
might be arranged, but added that
the two sides would have to leave
some of the issues to the COM
mittee to decide.
Maj. Gen. u 8. Grand, Sd, chair
man of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, sug-
gested action by Congress to extend
the present deadline on alley
dwelling occupancy, which will be
reached July l. Both Mr.. Wilkes
and Mr.. Ihlder joined in the request.
Keech to Outline Proposals.
Chairman Burton agreed it may
be necessary to introduce a separate
measure for this purpose, but that
it was desirable that it be accom-
panied by constructive" recommen-
dations from the committee. He
has asked Corporation Counsel
Richmond B. Keech to outline what
changes should be made.
Mr.. Ihlder agreed that even IL
private builders require Govern
ment assistance, legal or financial,
they should be given first oppor-
tunity" to build, own and manage,
so far as they can meet the need
without rent subsidies" provided
they meet certain requirements.
These he listed as:
/. Comply with standards set for
public housing, including those for
site development, unit plans, build
ing construction, proper mainte-
nance and management, and abide
by ceilings for rents and limitations
on profits during the whole period
of Government assistance.
2. The total cost. not merely ini-
tial construction cost, including a
"writedown" of site costs where
necessary, will be less expensive to
the taxpayer than will public slum
clearance and low-rent housing.
"Slums Must Co."
Such conditions. ne contended,
are necessary to justify the proposed
use of the Government power Of
condemnation to acquire large sites
and use of a Government subsidy
that would be involved in site
price "writedowns.
If the private builders do not meet
these conditions, he declared, then
the work should be done by a public
housing agency because the slums
must go and stay gone; and because
proper dwellings must be provided
for all slum dwellers at rents within
their means"
Mr.. Ihlder contended that the
economic rents" of the NCHA are
from 81 to $40 lower monthly than
the proposed rents of the Home
Builders, and from $1O.5O to s13
lower than the lowest rents sched-
uled in housing for Negro occu-
pancy proposed to be built under