Evening star., 1948-10-06
Capital Housing
Rent Roll Backs
Likely on Ruling
IhIder Studies Court
Action to Determine
Course Of Agency

Course Of Agency
Many tenants of the Nationa
Capital Housing Authority proper
ties may find their rents rolled bacl
to 1941 levels under a United State
Court of Appeals ruling. But If the,
do, it may be only temporary.
John lhlder executive officer O
the housing authority, said today hi
office still is studying the court rul.
ing of September ~ and has not ye
decided what its course shall be
That ruling held that the Fedora
Government is subject to rent con
troll laws just as individuals are
Ninety days are allowed for appeal
Robert F. Cosswell, District rem
control administrator, said. how.
ever. his ONCE has been notified tina,
the housing authority plans to reg.
lister all its rental units with hi!
office.
Landlords May Petition.
In that event. he said, the law pro.
vides that rents would be frozen al
the January 1, 1s41, figure for-units
which were being rented on that
date or in the prior year. The land
lord then could petition for, and
justify higher rents.
Mr. Ihlder estimated that a con-
siderable proportion Of the housing
authority's 8.l26 units were rental
as at January l. 1941. OF the total
number Of units, 946 are in nearby
Maryland, the rest in the District
Mr.. Cogswell said there is the
possibility that the housing au-
thority could get higher rents than
its present levels If it asked for
them. This would come about if
the authority asked for rent in
creases to the levels at which COM
parable quarters are renting or to
offset repairs or improvements.
Rents for properties opened since
the freeze date generally are set
at the initial rent charged, after
which either the landlord or the
tenant may apply for an adjust
ment.
Fixed on Cost Basis.
The housing authoritv's rents are
fixed on an economic, or cost, basis.
Tenants with small incomes pay
less for similar quarters than those
with large incomes. The annual
Federal contribution, $54 4.os4 in
fiscal 1947, and the District tax
exemption $88, 1877, are used to make
up the difference between what
the lowest income families pay and
the actual costs.
When q tenant reaches a net in
come Of $1,000 a year he is sup
posed to graduate" to nonpublic
housing. Mr.. Ihlder said figures
at the end Of August showed 1876
tenants had moved because thev
had reached the 5000 mark and
no longer were eligible as renters.
Pressure is being put on 334 to
move because they also had reached
the ineligible status, Mr.. Ihlder said,
Part of this pressure is applied
by raising the rent. the new and
higher rent being set after a survey
Of costs for comparable quarters 10
private ownership. -
Mr.. Ihlder said rents for all the
authority's units have been raised
IN accordance with the authority s
increased costs. with the top rents
just covering the costs.
Maryland Properties.
Concerning the authoritys prop
critics in Maryland, William L.
Thompson. area rent representa- tive
for the office of the Maryland
Housing Expediter. said he has
heard nothing from Mr.. Ihlder's
office. He said no consideration has
been given to any problems arising
If 1t is determined the authority s
rental units come under the rent
determinations of his office.
He also said initial rents probably
would be whatever had been COL
lected in January, 1941. after which
his office would study comparative
data.
As examples of rents at public
housing developments, a two-bed-
room apartment at the Fort Du-
pont project ranges from SIC to
s42.50. and at the Frederick Doug
lass project, from $13 to $40.50.
Mr.. Ihlder pointed out that rents
In two privately owned develop
ments have gone up, in one case
from 500 to $40 and in the other
from $5S to $63 for two bedroom
dwellings. For the same facilities
NCHA rents at Fort Dupont have
gone up from $46.50 to $3.50. This
Is for top rent.
NCHA rent increases are still be-
low the lowest rents in the two pri-
vate developments cited, Mr.. Ihlder
declared. He explained that NCHA
does not charge owners profit, but
has felt the Increased labor and
ma teriaS costs Of the rising porket