The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1944-06-01

NOblSIGcSp IL GIG'
fore, killing public housing in the
District Of Columbia, by act of Con-
gress, automatically paves the way
for killing public housing nationally
by act Of Congress. Furthermore
| Washington has perhaps the worst
housing problem Of the whole cock
eyed country. 1t has had q housing
problem ever since 1870. and in all
honesty and fairness, private enter
prise has never even come close
to solving 1t. Washington's s.ums
are notorious.
Overcrowdtng and multiple oc-
cupancy of dwelling units have
been increased by the influx Of war
workers. Ten years ago, Washington
had 100 inhabited alleys with 2049
occupied dwellings. oday 1t his 147
inhabited alleys with 14l7 dwellings
The reduction IS due largely to
Washington's public housing pro-
gram, set up by the Alley Dwelling
Act of 1884. which established the
Alley Dwelling Acknowledgements
a year ago the National Capital
Housing Authority-as an agency
of the federal government, charged
with wiping out Washington slums
in 10 years.
TIME LIMIT EXTENDED
The job has been only one-fourth
done, but Congress has extended
the limit for another year-not with
any idea that the remaining alley
dwelling could be vacated in that
time, but merely to give Congress
the time to work out a new pro-
gram and settle this issue Of pri-
vate VS.. public housing.
The mere fact that Washington's
public housing authority was the
first of its kind established in the
country-antedating by three years
the U. S. Housing Act Of 1937-is a
principal reason it is being picked
on. But in analysing the pressure's
groups battling to destroy public
housing in Washington, a curious
combination of forces and circum-
stances is uncovered. 1t should be
made clear at the start that not all
associations Of real estate, banking
mortgage and building men oppose
public housing, but the opposition
comes principally from these
sources:
THERE'S A TIDE OF
"ANTI" FEELING
l. The general tide of opinion
against government participation In
business, with the accompanying
nostalgia for normalcy, free enter
prise and the removal of all war
time restraints on private business.
2. The Home Builders ASsocia-
ton of Metropolitan Washington,
fronting for the National Associa-
ton of Home Builders which is
carrying on the fight against gov
eminent housing all over the coun-
try, on the grounds that private
business can do the job better and
cheaper than the government.
8. Real estate, mortgage bank
ing and other financial interests
which have big investments in
dwellings now standing and natur-
ally do not want competition from
any kind or more modern construc-
ton.
4. Citizens associations of in
dividual home owners who feel that
their property values have been
impaired.
5. Big builders and promoters
who have learned q few tricks from
public housing and who are out for
perfectly selfish grabs in the form
of tax-eXemption on housing con-
struction, or pubuic subsidies.
6. Small builders who fear they
may be driven out Of business.
Z. Last and most dangerous Of
all-the racial question, which en-
tiers the picture whenever coiored
families are moved out of sluns and
into neighborhoods predominantly
white,