Evening star., 1944-06-04
4 Groups Urge
Keeping NCHA
For Low Rents
Senate Hearing
Gets Appeals for
Slum Clearance

Support for continued operation
Of the National Capital Housing
Authority in the low rental rehous.
ing field, where tenant rental aie
will be necessary part of the pro.
gram to eradicate Washington
slums, was voiced yesterday by
spokesmen for four groups in testi-
mony before the Burton Subcom-
nittee of the Senate.
Statements we're made by repre-
sentatives of the Washington chap
ter of the American Institute OF
Architects, the Washing League OF
Women Shoppers, the District
chapter of the American Associa-
ton of Social Workers and Friend
ship House.
In addition, statement filed by
the American Planning and Civic
Association by its executive secre-
tary, Miss Harlean James, was
placed in the record. 1t urged
adoption of the Capper- Randolph
urban redevelopment bill which
would permit participation in the
slum clearance and rehousing pro-
grams by both private industry and
the NCHA, but called for operations
by the public agency in that field
where tenant rental subsidies would
be needed.
Hearings Near End.
Senator Burton, Republican, of
Ohio, chairman of the subcommittee
which has been holding hearings in
its investigation of slum problems
since January, announced that he
planned to conclude the subcommit-
tees work at a session next Satur-
day. He said consideration of the
competing bills on rehousing then
would be turned over to another sub
committee of the Senate District
Committee, headed by Senator
Walsh, Democrat, of New Jersey.
Meanwhile, study of the problem
Is to be resumed at 10 am. Tuesday
by the McGehee subcommittee of the
House District Committee.
Speaking for the League of Women
Shoppers, Mrs. Anita N. Sufrin told
the Burton subcommittee
I'VE feel that the people have a
right to decent homes and that the
granting of this right is social re-
sponsibility which lies within the
domain of our democratic Govern
ment. That is why public housing
authority was set up, empowered to
remove the blight of slums from the
District-a blight which degrades
the people and causes attendant So
cial evils such as disease and crime. "
She listed as essential principles
the following:
That the NCHA should continue
slum reclamation and low rent
housing work; that Congress should
appropriate ADEQUATE funds for this
purpose; that Negroes should be
represented "at the policy level" of
all agencies charged with slum
clearance, and that adequate hous-
ing should be made available to
Negroes in proportion to their need.
Opposes Rental Aid Plan.
Miss Alice Padget, speaking for
the District Chapter of the Ameri-
can Association of Social Workers,
fatty opposed the proposal of the
Home Builders Association for the
granting of rental aid to low-in-
come families through the Board
of Public Welfare, declaring such
a system would be economically
unsound and regressive' and not
In keeping with the American way
of taking care of those who need
assistance"
A lengthy colloquy ensued with
; attorneys for the Home Builders
Association of Metropolitan WASH
lngton when she declared that
when rental subsidies are handled
by a public housing agency high
standards of housing are assured
at COST" whereas, if handled
through grants from the welfare
board, separate from the rehousing
contracts, the result merely would
be to guarantee a profit to private
builders. She insisted that the pri-
vate industry plan of rental aid
would tend to perpetuate" sub
standard housing.
Miss Lydia Burklin, director of
Friendship House. voiced support for
continued work by the NCHA, de-
claring the only time anything had
been done to help low-income groups
as to housing was through the oper-
ations of the NCHA.
Cites Home Owners.
The Rev. Millard F. Newman.
representing citizens committee
of colored residents and property
owners in the Anacostia section,
urged that consideration be given
home owners in any programs for
redevelopment. He said he feared
that under large-scale redevelop-
ment schemes presently available
Negro sections might so easily" be
classed as "blighted areas"
Thomas H. Locraft, president of
the Washington Chapter of the
American Institute of Architects,
at the outset of yesterdays hearing
declared there was place for both
the NCHA and private industry in
the work of reclaiming Washing
tons slums. Instead of abolishing
the NCHA." he asked, "and leaving
the field clear to private builders
might not it be in the public in
terest to try both methods of pro-
duction simultaneously"
He suggested also that one of the
principal reasons why private in
dustry can build cheaper is because
1t is not required as is the NCHA
to pay the prevailing rates OF
wages" and that if the NCHA were
barred from future rehousing work
Congress would have to choose he