Evening star., 1948-02-05
Joint Housing Group
Urges 5,5O0Low-Rent
Units Be Built Here

The District Joint Committee onI
Housing believes that the NationalI
Capital Housing Authority should
be empowered by Congress to build
$500 additional. low-rent housing
units.
This recommendation was made
by the committee, a newly-organ-
lied group, at a forum held yester-
day at the YWCA, Seventeenth and
K streets NV, presided over by the
Rev. DR.. A. Powell Davies, pastor
of All Souls Unitarian Church.
Speakers discussed the probable
plight of any low-income family of
six living in house condemned be-
cause of insanitary conditions. They
all agreed there is little likelihood
such a family could move into a
decent house owing to the housing
shortage.
1900 on NCHA List.
Col. Waldron e. Leonard, director
of the Veterans Housing Center,
said I'VE just don't have enough
housing for low-income families"
Charles G. Beckett, executive
secretary of the Washington Urban
League, declared that THE situation
relative to the Negro is even more
serious than it is for the rest of the
population"
Charles M Amber, contact off,
Ger of the Veterans of Foreign Wars,
commenting on the record building
activity here, said CONSTRUCTION
now going on in the District is of no
use to the low-income people
Miss Florence T. Conlin, an off,
cial of the National Capital Hous-
ing Authority, declared there were
1900 persons on NCHA's waiting
list and that a family of six would
have to wait four years to obtain
one of the agency's low-rent dwell
ings.
The Joint Committee on Housing
was organized several mnoths ago
by a number of veteran, civic and
religious groups to consider what
might be done in view OF the forth
coming disposal of NCHA war hous-
ing units here
Forum Was First OF series.
Member groups include the Amer
lean Veterans Committee, American
Veterans of World War II, Jewish
War Veterans American Association
of Social Workers, Americans for
Democratic Action, Citizens Council
for Community Planning, League OF
Women Voters. Veterans OF Foreign
Wars. Washington Federation OF
Churches, Washington Housing Asso-
citation and the Washington Urban
League.
Yesterdays forum was described
as the first of series on the hous-
ing problem. About IS persons were
present.
The committee provided Census
Bureau reports which it said showed
that $4,000 District dwellings should
be demolished or extensively recon-
ditioned." It also said IA per cent
of all veterans live in houses need
ing major repairs, or lacking one or
more standard plumbing facilities.
Families Share Housing.
The committee reported that
1000 married couples are SnailIs
houses or apartments and contended
that private enterprise cannot sup
ply housing renting -ee $50 to .$491
a month"; -. ---- --~---'
1t advised those present to:
/. Ask Congress "to empower the
National Capital Housing Authority
to build $500 low-rent housing units
to meet emergency housing needs. "
2. Urge appropriations for the
District Land Agency and the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission for slan1 area survey
and land acquisition.
8. Urge the District Commission
ers to "see that construction OF low
rent housing precedes" disposition OF
1000 war housing units here.