Evening star., 1945-02-01
McCarran Hits
Local Critics Of
Housing Plan
Senator Decries
Slow Pace in
Slum Clearance

hllSWcIlllS CTltlCS Oh Ills 1COlnprO-
mise" slum clearance and rehous-
ing bill, Senator McCarran, Demo-
crat, of Nevada today attacked their
insistence that the National Capital
Housing Authority must be con-
tinued in charge of the Districts
low-cost projects.
In letter to the Washington
Housing, Association. which two
weeks ago assailed the McCarran
bill on numerous grounds, one being
that 1t would replace the NCHA
with new agency, the Navada Sen
ator declared:
4, am not at all satisfied with
the rate of progress in cleaning out
slum and blighted areas in the Dis
trict, as handled by the NCHA. If
the past operation of that Authority
is any indication of how slums and
blighted areas are to be cleared
out in the future. I cannot see that
retaining the separate identity of
that Public Housing Authority will
solve the problem in any way"
Takes Issue With Housing Group.
Senator McCarran, former
chairman of the Senate District
Committee and recently named head
of subcommittee to consider his
new housing bill, also took issue with
contention of the Housing Associa-
ton that Washington should re-
ceive Its proportionate share of
subsidized public housing along with
other cities of the country"
His reply to this was that he did
not believe his bill should be judged
on that basis because Congress has
never expressed or implied a policy
that there should be subsidized pub
lie housing when private enterprise
can furnish comparable low-rent
housing"
The Nevada Senator also dispelled
belief that his subcommittee would
act without calling public hearings
on the question. He wrote j. Ber-
nard Wyckoff, president of the asso-
citation. that hearings definitely will
be held. He added. however, that he
did not believe they would be
lengthy.
Bilbo Is NoncommittaI.
Chairman Bilbo of the District
Committee has not yet indicated
what disposition he will make, as to
subcommittee study, on the COM
peting slum clearance -rehousing bill
of Senator Capper, Republican. of
Kansas, which with amendments
will be backed by the National Cap
ital Park and Planning Commission,
the NCHA and the Housing Associa-
ton.
Both bills call for planning of re-
development projects by the Plan
ming Commission. in keeping with
its comprehensive plans for the Dis
trict, but the McCarran bill would
set up new housing agency to ac-
quire projects sites and to engage in
lew-cost housing development If pri-
vate builders do not take over the
work, in each separate case, within
year after they are advertised.
Answering other objections raised
by the association, Senator McCar-
ran contended it was "administra-
lively and functionally sound" for
the new agency to serve both as a
land agency and development
agency. He held it was important
that responsibility be centered on a
single agency.
In defending the provisions of his
bill which would exclude from public
housing persons with incomes above
81 500 year, Senator McCarran de-
clared it was desirable that there be
a specific definition of what is low
rent housing" Much argument and
dissention is caused, he said, by
those who are more intent upon
advancing some vague theory or
notion" than attacking the real
problem" of slum clearance.
When Congress enacted the vari-
Gus national public housing laws, 1t
did not intend to furnish low-rent
housing to those in income groups
who were financially capable of
purchasing their own homes" he as
serted