Evening star., 1945-09-26
IS WEDNESDAY, September rs, 1s45
Hopeful Compromise

IN any leRlSldtlOT QcSlSIleQ W SOlFc
as complex a problem as urban re-
development and slum elimination
there are bound to be flaws which
become apparent with study and ex-
perience. For that reason the Nc
Carran- Burton -Capper compromise
bill doubtless contains its imperfec-
tionS.
The most interesting feature of
this legislation. however, is its at
tempt to reconcile the views of the
frivate and public housing interests.
The intent of the bill, very plainly
stated, is to give private agencies
the edge in slum clearance and
low-cost housing, but to retain pub
lie housing agencies for jobs which
private interests are unwilling or
unable to undertake.
This the bill does in provision
said to have been drafted by Sen
ator Burton, as follows:
No lease or sale of any project area
or portion thereof shall be made by the
Agency to any public redevelopment
company unless the terms of such lease
or sale shall provide greater compensa-
ton 70 the Agency than any offer or
combination of offers based on substan-
TALLY the same area and substantially
the same redevelopment plan which
shall be received from any responsible
private sources eligible as purchAssrs
or lessees under this AcD within rea-
sonable announced period of time mot
less than 80 days. after the public hear
ing on such proposed lease or sale. 1t
is the intent of this provision that pri-
vate enterprise as represented through
a responsible private redevelopment
company, individual or partnership shall
be given preference over any public
redevelopment company in such lease
or sale provided such preference can
be given, In the judgment of the Agency,
consistently with protection of the pub
lie interest and consistently with pur-
pose to resort to public redevelopment
company only in the event that private
enterprise shall not reasonably be avail
able for the development of the project
area or the part thereof under consid-
Grafton.
Representatives of some private
interests have indicated greater
desire to get public housing out Of
the picture than to enter the low
cost housing field themselves. Their
position has been that as long as
the threat to private enterprise
from public housing remains. pri-
vate enterprise can never success
fully compete in provision of low
cost housing.
1t will be the solution of the slum-
elimination and low-cost housing
problem II private enterprise finds
a proper incentive in this field. But
the proof is in the pudding, and
until we have demonstrations of the
willingness and ability of private en-
terprise to do better job. in the
public interest, than public agencies,
public housing should not be dis
carded and should be available as a
last resort. For some way must be
found to provide decent and cheap
housing for the lower-income groups,
now pushed into slums because of
the lack of it.
This bill has been reported by the
Senate District Committee as a trib-
ute to Supreme Court Justice -desig-
nate Burton, in recognition of his
efforts in behalf of such legislation
1t is to be hoped that it will provide
the means for a test of what private
enterprise can do. with reasonable
help from public funds and the as
sembly, by condemnation, of suitable
areas for redevelopment.