Evening star., 1944-05-12
|OffcioIs Here Act to End Battle
On Public VS.. Private Housino

, completion OF the projects a.
planned. Plans could be modified
but only with approval of the lessee
or purchaser, the Planning Com
mission and the Commissioners
after public hearings by the latter.
AS to portions Of the project are,
not to be held by the United State
or the District government for pub
lie purposes, the bill provides tina
the land agency shall have powe
TO lease or sell the remainder of tn,
project area as an entirety to a re
development corporation or, if th
planned uses be predominantly low.
rental housing, to public housin,
authority or agency"
without Public Bidding.
1t adds that any lease or sale ma,
be made by the land agency with
out public bidding, but only after {
public hearing by the land agenc,
on the provisions of the proposed
lease or sale. Un asking that de.
velopment work be limited to pri.
vate redevelopment corporations Of
builders private work advocate!
have urged that there must be com.
petitive biddingD
The land agency also would hav,
power to lease or sell parts OF {
project area separately to individ.
uaB, partnerships, corporations, as.
sociations, housing authorities o.
others, for development. If not han.
died as one tract, but the same con.
ditIons would apply.
Because the determined use of thu
acquired areas often would affect
values, the land agency is directed
to engage two or more land value
experts to make use value" ap.
praisals for each parcel in a project
AREA as guide to determining
rentals or other terms to be placee
on developers.
The bill specifically provides thai
ownership or operation of rea
estate by the land agency shall moi
OF itself provide tax exemption, that
II there Is any tax exemption this
shall be under application of exist
ing statutes on exemptions.
Five Members Proposed.
Under the planning commission
proposal, the land agency woule
consist OF five members, all to be
named by the President. Two would
be officials of the Federal Govern.
ment, two would be selected from
among nominations submitted by
the District Commissioners. one oi
whom would be an official of the
municipal government and the fiftf
would be District resident to rep
resent the public. Members moi
otherwise holding public salariec
positions would be paid 500 q day
for services at meetings or other
agency work.
This will not be the only bill be
fore the Burton Subcommittee. AL.
ready referred to it is the stun
reclamation bill introduced by Sena.
tor McCarran, Democrat, of Neva.
da, former chairman of the Senate
District Committee, which woule
provide $4,000, 900 revolving fune
to begin a public housing antislun
program. Its approval would be {
first step in the 20-year $100, ,O00, ,00i
program advocated by Mr.. Ihlder.
The home builders group is q
work on its own bill, which woul,
exclude the NCHA from the worl
OF future redevelopment of blighte
areas. In testimony before the Bur
ton Subcommittee, Myron Davy
president of the association, pro
posed that public housing agencie
be prohibited from doing any build
ing here for a reasonable time, a
least" and asked that avowed advo
Gates of public housing be omitte
from agencies to direct the rede
velopment programs.