Evening star., 1950-06-08
VeteransGiven
Notice Of Intent
.ToSeIIGreenbeIt
Government Plons
Disposal of Project
For S8,522,350

Green0elt. Quit originally as
demonstration Of modern Suour-
ban town planning and expanded
by dictates Of war. is being offered
for sale to veterans groupS-and
for $S,522.3
Notice of the Governments in
tention to sell the l,S90-unit city
is being given today in an adver-
tiSement by John Taylor Egan.
commissioner of the Public Hous-
ing Administration.
Greenbelt-one Of the three
"greentowns" built in the 30s by
the ReSettlement Administration
lis being sold under provisions Of
public law 65. passed by Congress
last year. 1t authorizes the PHA
to sell all three of the Federally
owned projects through negotiated
sale with preference to non-profit
veterans groups. rather than by
cash sales to the highest bidder.
Others in Ohio and Wisconsin.
The other two model towns are
Greenhills. Ohio, and Greendale.
Wis.
Commissioner Egan said public
law 65 permits sale of Greenbelt
at its fair market value. 1t may
be sold either for cash or terms.
with a down payment Of at least
10 per cent and the balance pay
able over not more than IS years
at 4 per cent interest.
Veteran groups, qualifying un-
der terms of the law. will have
until S pm, August 7 TO apply
for a priority in negotiating for
the purchase.
Such groups must admit any
present residents OF Greenbelt to
their membership under the same
terms applying to other members.
400 Must Be Veterans.
In order to qualify as a priority
purchaser, the group must have
a membership sufficient that at
least 800 of the units can be occu-
pied by members. A group may
also include non-veteran resi-
dents of the town, but must in
clude not less than 400 veterans.
If PHA receives an application
by August 7 which fairly indicates
the group is entitled to prefer
ence and has sufficient financial
resources, the agency will open
negotiations.
Should more than one group
qualify. PHA will require sealed
bids and the project will be sold
to the group submitting the high
est offer.
If no group qualities. PHA will
sell Greenbelt either by negotia-
ton or by competitive bidding.
The agency will offer 12-month
leases to all eligible tenants Of
residential units before passage Of
title to the new owners.
Groups Formed to Seek Purchase.
Efforts to buy Greenbelt from
the Government have been under
way since the fall of 1945. During
that time. several factions have
been formed among residents OF
the town.
The oldest group. which also
claims to be the largest. is the
Greenbelt Veterans Housing Corp.
This group reports 1t represents
more than two-thirds of the 1900
families in the Federal housing
development. 1t has two boards.
one composed of seven veterans
move designed to give the cor
poration veterans preference
and an advisory group made up
of non-veterans.
The veterans corporation is an
outgrowth of an association
formed in 1916. At that time d
group known as the Greenbelt
Mutual Housing Association was
organized.
Opposition" Group Formed.
lCNCAlU
Greenbelt Homes Cooperative
Association - was formed about
three months ago as an "opposi-
tion" housing group. This or
ganiZation. headed by Robert r.
Dove. former head of the Green
belt Boys Club. launched a door,
to-door pamphlet campaign in
March in an attempt to obtain
members. Five other veterans are
officers of the association.
A third group. not yet formally
organized. is headed by Guy
Moore and includes six other
Greenbelt residents who favor
purchase Of the town on a
limited dividend" basis whereby
some agency, such as an insur-
ance company, would buy the
town and then collect rent from
present residents.