St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1952-05-16
Housing Association
Names Barrie lfs
Executive Director

NOBtIl w. DdAIlG has USCl
elected to the new post Of full
time executive director of the
Minneapolis Housing Association,
it was announced today.
The association is a civic or
ganization including representa-
ives of the AFL, CLIO, religious
groups, League of Women Voters,
and veterans organizations; bust
nessmen and private citizens.
Its purpose is to develop public
awareness of the city's housing
shortage and to promote the con-
struction of low-rent public hous-
ing for low-income families.
Barrie's election was announc-
ed by Howard Kahn, Barrie's
successor as president. Other Of
ficers are Joseph Erickson, chair
man Of the housing committee Of
the Minneapolis Central Labor
Union, vice-president; and Mrs.
w. ]. Hertz, secretary-treasurer.
Board members include I. J.
Cakes, AFL building trades coun-
Gil; Alderman George Martens;
Harold Haight. Clio; Mrs. Elsbeth
Parker, League of Women Voters;
Tom Roberts, AFL construction
and general laborers union; Pat
Goodin, American Legion: George
O'Brien, AFL teamsters union;
Cecil Newman, Minneapolis
Spokesman, Clarence Anger, CLIO;
Ben Belfer, Disabled American
Veterans; Ashby Gaskins, Urban
League; Jim Guest, Clio; Richard
Siegel, American Veterans Com
mittee; Donald Fraser, legal ad-
wiser; Will J. Hertz, publicity
chairman, and Myrtle Cain,
speakers bureau.
THE associations immediate
goal is to promote additional units
of federally-subsidized public
housing in Minneapolis" Kahn
said.
THE 1000 units of public hous-
ing already agreed to by the city
council and the Minneapolis
housing authority" he continued,
fall far below the city's needs.
"A Stun survey by the author
ity and the city health depart
ment in 1949 revealed that the
city has $4,000 units Of seriously
deficient housing. Most of these
units are beyond repair.
"The situation has become
worse in the past two years be-
cause construction costs have been
too high for these families to buy
or to rent better housing. In addi-
ton, the mayor has just reported
that the $50 city-owned temper
airy units built after the war soon
must be torn down because they
have deteriorated beyond prac-
ticable repair.
with the present national
emergency, we cannot hope TO
build $4,000 public housing units
in Minneapolis in the near future,
But 1000 units is barely start.
Denver, Colo. which is
smaller and less crowded than
Minneapolis, is building 1000
units, while Minneapolis has so far
approved only 1000"
Barrie pointed out that If Min
neapolis doesn't get the additional
units, other cities will. Congress
in 1919 authorized building OF
$4,000 units throughout the
country in a six-year program
ending in 1855.
IAN expanded housing program
would permit a slum clearance
and redevelopment program to re-
deem present slum land for pri-
vate housing construction and in
dustrial sites" Barrie said.
This would substantially in
crease the city's income" he
added. Present Stun areas now
yield extremely low tax income;
new housing and industrial plants
would fall into higher tax
brackets.
Experience in other cities has
shown" Barrie concluded, that
public housing and Stun clear
ance programs have been made
possible only through continuing
efforts by citizens groups to
awaken public interest and spur
government action"