Smyrna times., 1949-06-16
REALTY BOARD
HEAD TALKS
Citizens Helping to Pay Rent
of $4,000 Families De-
clares Ridgely
SUBSIDIZED HOUSING


in socialized and public housing de-
Velopments in this country, Mr..
Charles DUPONT Ridgely, President
of the Kent County Realty Board,
charged today.
Literally thousands of over-in-
come families, with earnings rang
ing up to s24,00 per year, occupy
these subsidized housing units. Yet
we are asked to pay higher taxes
to offset losses sustained by our
city, state, and federal govern
ments on these housing develop
ments, Mr.. Ridgely asserted.
Because of the fact that the
governments housing projects are
tax free, we, the Homecoming citi-
zens of Dover, have to make up our
part of the difference through in
creased property and income taxes.
We have to pay their sewerage
costs. We have to pay the cost of
public schools that serve them. We
contribute toward their street and
sidewalk maintenance. We contri-
butte to their police and fire protec-
tion.'
Mr. Ridge1y predicted that peo-
pie who now pay taxes on homes
and other taxable items will con-
tribute S434 per family in the next
40 years if the new public housing
bill before Congress becomes a law.
This, he said, will be in addition to
the funds presently being contri-
buted to house the $4,000 families
in public housing today.
Proponents of the public hous-
ing bills now before the United
States Congress attempt to justify
their stand on the premise that
our low-income families need bet
ter housing" he pointed out. "Nev-
ertheless, they continue to balk at
any provision which would limit
this new housing to our lowest in
come groups.
Robert P. Gerholz. Flint, Mich,
speaking for the National Associa-
tion of Real Estate Boards in his
testimony before the House Bank
ing Committee in opposition to the
public housing bill, convincingly
showed how proponents of the
measure use the poor and INDECENT
as subterfuge and yet refuse to
channel the housing toward that
group.
"As Mr.. Gerholz told the COM
nittee, the government cannot af-
ford, even with subsidies, to turn
new housing units over to the
needy, the INDECENT, and the resi-
dents of slums. There is no assur-
ance that the proposed bill can OF
will clear slums. The cost Of land
and demolition of present struc-
lures makes it doubtful" Mr.
Ridgely observed.
even with subsidies and tax,
free dwellings, our low income
groups are frozen out of public
housing today.
THAT was dramatically revealed
when the Mayor of Detroit, testi.
flying before the House Banking
Committee, admitted under ques-
tioning that there was a tenant
living in subsidized housing pro.
ject in his city who earned S24, 4,00C
annually.
More recently, however, one OF
the most ardent proponents of pub
lie housing came out against hous-
ing too many of the neediest fam
lilies in public housing projects. He
said the number of relief families
admitted to a public housing pro-
ject should be limited to 10 per
cent of the total capacity.
with all this talk against hous-
ing the poor and INDECENT, why dc
the proponents of socialistic hous-
ing measures wave the flag of slun
clearance before our eyes?" the
speaker questioned.
"All this double talk is used tc
confuse the American tax payers
as to the necessity for public hous.
ing. While the public housers pro.
pagandize about slum clearance
low income housing, and housing
the needy, they publicly admit that
they have no intention Of practic.
ing what they preach if they gel
their will. Their past performance
also indicates this provision of the
1887 public housing act, which saic
that one slum unit must be tori
down for each new public housing
unit built, was rarely carried out
The record in Washington will yer.
ify this fact"
There was another provision il
the 1887 act which limited occu
pancy to families of the lowest
income group, Mr.. Ridgely observ