The union times., 1947-01-25
Public Must Act If Congress Is To Act FavOrably
Most Cities Are In Same Situation New Haven
 Finds Itself
By C.-E. A. WINSLOW
 Chairman New Haven Housing Authority

At their request, the fOIIOsU-
 ing stGtement ICGs sent by Dr.
 WinsIOsO to the group 0f repre- sentGtiUe citizens sUItO hGve issued q call for q meeting to Organize the Greater NesU HGuen Citizens Housing Council. The meeting sOiH be held Tuesday, Feb. 4. at
 P.nl. ct the AssenlbI, Hall, 42 HOsCe St.-EditOr's Motel
 l estimate that in order to make up for the Is years during which little or no home building has been accom- pished, to keep pace with absole- scence and to clear our sll1ms, New Haven should build 1,50O new homes year for 10 years. This is very minimum estimate.
 The most important fact to re- member, however, is that this building is needed for the low in- come groups and not primarily for the high income groups. l think ii can be said without the possibility of serious challenge, that it would be absolutely impossible to provide adequate housing in New Haven through unaided, competitive, pri- vate enterprise for less than $40 a month (including basic utiIities). Again, this is an extremely con- servative estimate. This rent can- not be paid by a family with an income of less than $2,5OO.
 
 With a family income between $1 500 and $2,50O it may in many in stances be possible to provide hous- ing without subsidy if governmental action provides for low interest rates and for reasonably low costs through some re-development procedure - in which the community will absorb reasonable proportion of inflated low values.
 SUBSIDY NEEDED
 For families of $1,5OO and below there is no possibility of obtaining de- cent housing without direct subsidy, such as IS involved in our present low rent housing projects.
 The great bulk of need is be- low the $2,5OO a year family in- come level; but it is clear that nothing effective can be done Co meet the situation without federal action such as was contemplated in the Bill. The passage of measure of this kind is the one basis for any rational progress.
 ACTION WITHOUT DELAY
 l hope you can develop an or ganizatiOn powerful enough to con- vince our representatives in Con- gross that this step must be taken without delay. It should be one of the first measures before the present Congress. Furthermore. it will be necessary to watch very carefully the attempt which will most certainly be made (if such a measure seems about to pass) to incude an upper cost limit which will practically make the building of homes impossible. With a limit of $1,OOO per room it would be simply impossible today to do any, thing. With $2,OOO we could build. Whether any somewhat lower limits than $2,OOO per room could be es- tablished will depend upon price levels.
 l wish you would also remind your group that the New Haven Housing Authority has prepared plans for l 400 new units of low-rent housing ill addition to the 1000 it now has in operation. We plan to extend the pro- jects at Elm Haven and Farnam Courts and to build new projects one in the Hill District and one prob ably on vacant land, which will be done first to take care of evicted ten ants from areas to be subsequently, cleared. This is a second step in our program and additional housing of this kind will be necessary in the future.
 With warmest good wishes for your success.