The Daily Alaska empire., 1949-02-01
|hLASKA HOUSING
 PROBLEM CRITICAL
 DECLARES WILDER
Board of Commissioners 10 Seek Aid from Terri
 foriaI Legislature

he Alaska Housing Authority will open their regular quarterly meet ing in Juneau on February 8, it was announced today by Jake Cropley, Vice-Chairman and Ju- neau member of the Board. Other members are Father Paul c. OCon- nor of Hooper Bay, Chairman; Louise Weaver Miller of Ketchi- kan; Harold Byrd of Flat and Mayor z. J. Loussac of Anchor age. E. Glen Wilder, Executive Director and Secretary for the Au- thority, arrived in Juneau week Iago to advise the legislature of the Authority's program tc meet the housing crisis existing in Alaska, and to he. present for the board meeting.
 The lack or decent, standard housing is the greatest single bottle neck retarding the development and growth of Alaska and improvement to the health problem of the Ter ritory today" Wilder declared, and to meet this need the Alaska Hous- ing Authority has developed a comprehensive program which in- cludes anticipated federal aids for housing in an amount in excess of s10,O0e,O00, and implementing legislation by the Territory"
 Delegates Proposal
 On January 6. Delegate E. l.. Bartlett introduced in Congress a bill designed to alleviate the crit ical shcrtage of housing in two ways:
 1. By amending the National Housing Act, adjustments are made in the FILA insurance program which are adapted specifically to Alaska. This section of the bill raises the limit of FILA insurance under Title 2 and Section sos of the National Housing Act, from s8,IC0 to $1O,8OO per family dwell- ing unit. It also provides a means for an effective government loan program trough the Federal Ma tional Mortgage Agency.
 2. S100o0,000 is appropriated to the Alaska Housing Authority for the purpose of making loans to in- dividuals: and of constructing housing upen the petition and showing of need of any local com munity of the Territory This fund will be administered through the Housing and Home Finance Agen- cy in Washington. D. c. In his re- cent message to Congress, President Truman recognized the seriousness Of he housing situation in Alaska and took particular note of this condition in recommending the pas ssage of this bill. Executive and administrative branches of the government have given their full est support; and it is expected that early approval will be given to this measure.
 Appropriation Asked
 ITO supplement and to provide the Alaska Housing Authority with advance administration funds, and for other purposes. there has been introduced in the Territorial legis- lature a bill which would appro- priate $250,000 as Alaskas share in this program The Territorial legislation is necessary ill order for the Alaska Housing Authority to be able to accept the Federal Grant" says Wilder
 Community Problem
 "In every community in Alaska we have the problem-a normal program of home building can't exist so long as the relation be- tween building costs and our buy ing ability remain so out of pro- portion. The ultimate solution will -be to bring these two factors in ! line with one another. One of the quickest ways to bring building costs to a normalcy is to develop the manufacturing and production of the basic building materials and thus avoid the evils of our present methods of remote purchasing l Alaska has the resources and we must utilize them. The Housing ! Authority includes within their ] program long range plan design ] ed to promote and encourage to the fullest the establishment of the local production of building materials.
 Thousands of good prospective citizens have been forced out of Alaska within the last few years because of housing situation. The exact number will never be known, nor will their loss ever be fully eyaluated.
 We can talk from now on about the development of Alaska, and health institutions to take care of our sick" Wilder continued, but until we have an adequate supply of decent homes for the citizens of the Territory, development will be stymied hy lack of population, and cur hoSpitals will remain over