The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-12-16
Housing
CONTINUED from Page II

vacancy survey Of the Detroit area,
which disclosed and alarmingly low
vacancy rate of one per cent in
dwellings available for whites,
with no vacancies for Negroes.
The shortage is further shown
in the reports of the Detroit Hous-
ing Commission which show for
example, l4,466 total new Negro
applications for war housing from
November l943 to November 1914.
with only 1871 of these being
housed through either public
housing or conversions. The 1878
not served have been forced to
jam into already overcrowded IA
cilities.
The growing tensions arising out
of the situation are creating an in
creasing handicap to vital war pro-
duction which cannot be over
looked in this area which is re-
sponsible for over II per cent Of
the total national production in
war equipment and material"
Hit Dearborn Position
The special committee on hous-
ing is particularly disturbed by
the fact that the city OF Detroit
does not appear at this time to be
considering any further steps to
meet this housing crisis. It also
fails to understand the position be-
ing taken by city officials Of Dear
born in opposing an unrestricted
housing project for war workers
as proposed by the Federal Public |
Housing Administration. The spe-
cial committee states that this |
housing problem is area-wide in |
scope and that every municipality |
must be expected TO accept its full |
measure of responsibility in meet
ing the situation. It proposes to UNI
dertake an educational program
reaching the entire area which
will include the distribution OF
zoo, 900 copies Of a pamphlet pre-
senting the facts on the problem,
urges a conference of mayors In
the area for the purpose OF drawing
up a comprehensive program.
The committee is composed at
present of the following persons:
Clarence Anderson, Detroit Coun-
Gil, Fair Employment Practices
Committee; DR.. L. l. Bozin, Ru-
manian- American Alliance for De-
mocracy; T. T. Brumbaugh, De-
troit Council Of Churches; ]. A.
Carrothers; FIR. J. ] Cavanaugh;
Frances Comfort, Detroit Fedora
ton of Teachers; Edward Conner,
executive director, Citizens Hous-
ing and Planning Council; Gloster
B. Current, executive secretary,
N.A.A.C.P.: John c. Dancy, Detroit
Urban League; John Gallo, recrea-
ton director Ford Local 600,
UAW-CIO; DR.. B. Benedict Glazer,
vice president. Detroit Fair EN-
ployment Practices Committee;
Ned A. Gorrell, executive secre-
tary, Detroit Victory Council; Rev.
Chas. A. Hill, chairman. Inter-
racial committee. Detroit Council
! OF Churches; William P. Lovett.
Detroit Citizens League; Paul w.
Mcintosh, Ferndale City Planning
Commission; P. v. Mcnamara:
Wayne County Federation OF
Labor; Stanley Nowak. state sena-
tor; r. H. Pounds, Jack Raskin,
Civil Rights Federation; WacklaW
Soyda. editor, Nasz SWAT; N. l..
Smoker, executive secretary, De-
troit chapter, National Lawyers
Guild; Edmund j. Stafford, chair
man. Housing Committee, Detroit
chapter, National Lawyers Guild;
Sam Sweet, chairman Housing
Committee, Wayne County ClO
Council.
The committee authorized the
following resolution to be issued
in its name:
"In view of the urgent require
hment that every person, organiza-
! ton and community support the
war effort in every way possible.
which is particularly important in
the Metropolitan Detroit Area be-
cause of its strategic position IN
the national war economy, and;
Since a factual study indicates
that a severe housing shortage
exists in this area which is handi-
Gaping the war effort now. and
which potentially threatens to be-
come even more OF deterrent. and
In view OF our belief that to
provide housing which meets at
least minimum requirements OF
health and safety for all Of our
people is basic to American prac-
tees and the standards of de-
mocracy, and
Knowing that the failure to do
so will not only seriously hamper
the war effort but create serious
postwar social problems we. as in
dividual citizens, do hereby re-
solve:
|. That temporary special COM
mittee be established for the pur-