Evening star., 1946-11-08
Ihlder Urges
Housing Law,
RENAL Projects
Homes for Lease
Seen Great Need
In District Area

John Ihlder, director of the Ma
tional Capital Housing Authority,
today called for greatly increased"
public housing rental projects for
the Washington area and urged
passage Of the Wagner-Ellender-
Taft bill.
Speaking before the American
Legion Housing Committee at Hotel
2400, Mr.. nhlder said the need for
public housing will decrease Us cost
of private building comes down,
"but low-income groups must be
provided for"
Asked what constitutes low.
income group, he replied it includes
those persons who cannot apply
more than one-fourth of their
monthly incomes on payments on q
home.
Tenants Being Eyicted.
He said tenants here are being
evicted as their incomes reach levels
at which they could buya home, but
added some Of the incomes range as
high as 5000 a year among the
$500 tenants Of public housing
projects. Some 5000 veterans are
on rental waiting lists, meanwhile,
I'VE can't force these tenants out
in the street to buy at present in
f1ated prices" he declared.
But that's exactly what you are
forcing veterans to do" retorted a
roran,ittee r,oemher
Asks to Address Group.
Mr.. Ihlder asked to address the
group after Waldron Z. Leonard,
director of the Veterans Informa-
tion Center here, was introduced as
representing the District of Colum-
bia Housing Authority" and spoke
on public housing projects here.
"Mr. Leonard knows nothing about
the public housing situation here,
Mr.. Ihlder said. He asked that the
introduction be stricken from the
record.
In another address, Joseph Myer-
hoh, president of the National As !
sociation of Home Builders, urged
removal of price controls on hous-
ing, and said without price control
industry can produce one million
homes a year land still permit the
required commercial, industrial and
public works construction.
Amvets Pledge Aid.
Jack Hardy, commander Of the
American Veterans of World War II,
blamed selfish interests Of all
groups conected with construction
as responsible for housing bottle
necks and offered the Legion the CO.
operation of his group in their pro-
gram for veterans housing.
Housing Administrator Wilson w.
Wyatt spent two and half
hours answering questions yester-
day. Mr.. Wyatt's program had been
severely attacked by labor and in
dustry leaders throughout the five-
day meetings.
Defending Federal control of
building, Mr.. Wyatt declared the
housing program is far in advance
of anything its critics have pre-
dicted for 1916 with or without
Government control" adding that
more than $4,000 units were started
during the first nine months of this
year The building rate, he said, is
more than three times that of 1945.
Wyatt. Asks Housing Act.
Mr.. Wyatt called for immediate |
enactment of the Wagner-Ellender-
Taft bill ito provide rental housing |
|
ilies," and called for continuance Of
rent controls, priorities for alloca-
ton of materials, financing of in
dustrialized housing and premium |
payments to producers of critical
materials.
The housing director told mem
bers the greatest danger now facing |
his program, however, is the pro-
posal for price decontrol on building |
materials