The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-06-03

U z VI CdAAy ~
would require 100000 new or re-
habilitated dwellings to meet the
housing shortage. 4. Since average
cost of government housing-i11-
GLIDING land, street and facilities
has been $4,000 per unit, 1t would
cost the taxpayers $65 900, 100000 to
build housing for the underprivil-
eyed one-third Of the population
who can't afford to pay rents that
will give private builders a fair re-
turn.
There is one big fallacy to this
line of argument. Though the gov
eminent has paid out money to
build temporary war housing, 1t has
never shelled out to build under the
low rent, slum clearance programs.
What it has done Is lend funds at
interest for construction by local
housing authorities, the cost to the
government being confined to the
payment of a subsidy to meet oper-
ating deficits incurred by the local
housing authorities when the In
come from the rents they are able
to charge do not meet costs.
FULL PROGRAM NEVER
CARRIED OUT
Under the present law, this sub
sidy is limited to $4,000, 900 a year.
It now actually amounts to only So
100000 a year because the full pro-
gram was never carried out. To
date-1934 to 1913, inclusive-these
subsidies have cost the taxpayers
$25, 100000.
Even so, it is argued by oppo-
nents of public housing that this
business of having Uncle Sam pay
part of the rent check for the poor
is wrong because 1t provides compe-
tition for the people in the business
of providing shelter for a profit.
Many private real estate and bank
ing interests like to think that pub
lie housing is on the way out now.
1t is their belief that public tenn
porary war housing will involve
such terrific losses that all public
housing will be given q black eye
from which 1t can never recover.
Advocates of public housing aren't
so sure. For example, John B.
Blandford Jr. He is the smart
young budget bureau official who
Inherited all the mistakes Of 16 as
sorted government housing agencies
when they were reorganized into the
one National Housing Agency two
years ago and he became its admin
istrator.
Blandford's first principle is that
housing is predominantly job for
private enterprise, and any other
approach Is unavoidable and I'M
realistic" His program for post
war housing encompasses preserv-
ing the Federal Housing Admins
tration mortgage insurance and the
credit reserves of the Federal Home
Loan Bank system, in addition to
creating new forms of credit, insur-
ance and low interest rate mort
cages to enable private builders to
meet needs Of low income groups
for whom they cannot build now
and make profit.
THERE'S ROOM FOR ALL,
BLANDFORD BELIEVES
But even when agreement on such
points can be reached with banks,
insurance companies and investors
wanting high rates of interest,
Blandford believes that there will
be limits to what private builders
can do. Below those limits he be-
lieveS there is a noncompetitive
field for public housing.
Officials of the National Associa-
ton of Real Estate Boards have
for some time been working on a
program for community develop
ment and rebuilding, believing that
legislation to aid postwar housing
should be passed now SO that it
VIII be ready for instant use when
the war ends. Nothing in the N.
A. r. E. B. plan is as yet approved.
put 1t is notable that preliminary
drafts of the plan call for not only
continuation Of the present public
housing program. but for taking
the government still further into
public housing development. This
IRON what is perhaps the most re-
sponsible and conservative trade as
ISOLATION in the hllsiFaee