Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-03-02
IhIder Report Urges
1hree-Year Test on
Private Housing

Private industry should be given
three years to do all it can towards
meeting the shortage of lower
priced homes here, while the Ma
tional Capital Housing Agency as
sumes a minor" part of the task,
John Ihlder, executive officer Of
NCHA, has recommended to Con-
gress.
AT the end of this three-year Pc
riod," he said yesterday in a AL
page report covering 10 years of
NCHA operating here, Congress
will be in position to evaluate the
continuing need and the ability Of
private and of public housing
agencies to meet that need"
He stressed the large amount of
construction" facing the Capital, if
slum clearance is to be carried for
ward, and permanent housing pro-
vided for people now living in
temporary" buildings supposed to
be torn down after the war.
Sees Population Gain. 4
Between 10000 and $4,000 dwell
ings should be replaced or recondi-
toned, he said, and 3,157 tempo
rary" dwellings should be removed.
There was no prospect Of ma
terial decrease in population" he
said, pointing instead to prospect
of increase after readjustment.
The part to be played by NCHA
in the three-year experimental pc
Rod in the immediate future, Mr..
Ihlder said, should include: FIRST,
the reclamation of slum areas con-
tanning some $500 dwellings and the
construction of new dwellings to
provide for displaced families: Sec
ond, the construction of permanent
dwellings for 1000 of the 3,157
families now living in temporary
houses"
Taking account of the possibility
that private housing may do more
than it ever has in the past" he
said, that urban redevelopment
legislation may encourage private
redevelopment of blighted areas,
the NCHA recommends that 1t be
doo1S1lCo a Dllld4iCl Lcoh tlldll WOuld
be indicated by the record"
Urban redevelopment legislation,
pending in the Senate, has been the
center of spirited debate before a
housing subcommittee of the Senate
District Committee during the past
few days. Hearings were concluded
yesterday morning by the subcom-
mittee headed by Senator McCar-
ran, Democrat, of Nevada, author
of one of the two principal measures
under consideration.
Without naming the measure
sponsored by Senator Capper, Re-
publican, of Kansas, which he has
supported in the past, Mr.. Ihlder
summarized his argument for it by
saying in dealing with the problem
of low-income people living in unfit
dwellings" the lesson of the past
was that public housing is essential
as a supplement to private housing
if we are to assure proper dwellings
for all our people"
The McCarran bill would abolish
the NCHA, and set up a different
system of slum clearance.
Private enterprise proponents in
hearings have sought to abolish
public housing in favor of private
housing.
States NCHA Stand.
Public housing is designed to-
supplement private housing" Mr..
Ihlder told Congress. IF and as in
crease of income and decrease in
housing costs approach each other
in fact instead of in prophesy,
the field of public housing will be
narrowed. When every one can af-
ford a good privately owned house,
the need for public housing may
disappear. But that is of an indefi-
mite future. The NCHA believes
that it will be necessary for public
housing to continue what it has be-
gun until prophesy becomes fact"
Mr.. Ihlder reviewed at length
10 years of operation by NCHA in
Washington, including the earlier
years when 1t was known as the
Alley Dwelling Authority. In sum-
marizing the number of dwellings
under management of NCHA, he
said that out of total of SITS such
dwellings, 112 were "slum reclama-
ton; 2,707 were "low-rent hous-
ing; 300 were permanent defense
housing; and 3,157 we're temporary
war housing"