Evening star., 1950-09-20
Citizens Request
HousingProjjects
vs.
For Montgomery
Advisory Committee
Urges Authority
Be Re-estobIished

SOd11GJ 4AOhA0A446 @4Ab4@SA 1SJ
and adoption of public low-rent
housing construction program is
urged upon the County Council by
the Citizens Housing Advisory
Committee.
The recommendations are among
those in a report handed the
county governing body yesterday
by Committee Chairman Philip
Schiff. The committee was ap-
pointed last spring by the council
to study sub-standard housing
conditions and the need for con-
tinuing the three emergency vet
erans' housing projects in Mont
gomery.
In presenting the report, Mr.
Schiff told the council in an ac-
connpallying letter:
1--WE trust that the council will
take the earliest possible action in
connection with our recommenda-
tions and we do hereby offer the
services of our committee in i'm
plementing any of the recommen-
dations set forth in the report"
Abolished in June. ,
The County Housing Authority
was abolished by the council in
June and placed the three veter-
ans housing projects in the coun-
ty under County Manager Irving
q. McNayr. E. Brooke Lee, for
mer county Democratic Party
CHIEF, was chairman of the old
authority.
I. The county last week threatened
Mr.. Lee with court action unless
he returned records pertaining to
the veterans housing projects,
which he had taken, he said, to
protect himself from alleged
character assassination"
Mr. Lee, who subsequently re-
turned the records, yesterday de-
Tended the work of the housing
authority in a statement after
Mr.. Schiff read the report.
MIR. Schiff told the council the
committee findings covering the
sub-standard section of our re-
port has met with the approval
Of your committee. That section
of the report dealing with vet
erans' emergency housing was
concurred in by the committee
with the exception of Mr.. Joseph
Buscher who requested that he be
listed as present but not voting. "
The report recommends that
the program of public low-rent
housing construction 'be as linn
tied as possible in its scope"
Other recommendations on sub
standard housing were:
That any low-rent housing
projects be limited to one in the
Lyttonsvil1e vicinity for colored
families; one in the Rockville area
for colored families, and one in
the westerly area of the county
contiguous to the Metropolitan
Area for white families, and to
any other areas where thorough
investigation may show a need.
Group to Assist Council.
That the Citizens Advisory
Housing Committee be continued
in an advisory and educational
capacity to assist the council and
the Housing Authority in plan
ming against the development of
further sub-Standard housing in
the county.
That through an educational
campaign, aided by application of
health, building and safety laws.
property owners be induced to
improve their properties to meet
the standards of minimum de-
cent living conditions. This pro-
gram would have as its keystone
the informing of property owners
of the means by which, through
low-coSt loans and grants, they
can bring their properties up-to-
standard with a minimum burden.
In respect to the veterans
housing developments, the COM
nittee recommends continuance
of their operation "as part of the
overall housing program"
The report criticizes the former
management. charging the COM
mittee was unable to obtain fl
nancial records.
"It is imperative that the prof.
ects be operated on an efficient
businesslike basis" the report
declares.
On basis of the present records,
the report asserts, there is not
a substantial demand by veterans
for present facilities"
The report on the veterans
housing projects concludes:
"The whole housing problem
should be placed under an au-
thority when. but not until the
management of these projects is
on firm footing. Until then
the county should retain the re-
sponsibility for their manage
ment."
Lee Defends Authority.
Mr.. Lee said the authority and
intelligence of the housing au-
thority members had been i'm
pugned by the report.
There is no excuse for the
things that have been said OF
intimated in this report" he as
serted.
Mr.. Lee denied there was lack
of proper records of the veterans
projects and said the develop
ments were "decently conceived
and well-run."
He said he agreed generally
with the factual material in the
committees report though he
thought it was of no great con-
sequence. He declared he coulc
not agree with the reports recon-
mendations.-
Silver Spring Meeting Set
The Silver Spring Mems Chorus