Evening star., 1953-01-07
Housing Units
LeadershipLack
Hit in Report
Controversial Study
Says VIVA FoiIs
To RoIIy Factions

The washington Housing As
sociation is pictured, in a re-
port released today, as an
agency that has accomplished
some good but which lacks au-
thoritative, professional leader
ship in the community.
The report. which became con-
troversial even before it was is
sued, is on a study by Community
Research Associates, Inc, of New
York for the United Community
Services Of Washington.
The study was voted when the
UCS Board of Trustees decided
last spring to rescind an earlier
action to bar VIVA from Com
munity Chest funds.
VIVA Raps Report.
VIVA spokesmen have served
notice the agency feels it can
place no confidence in the re-
port.
Col. Campbell c. johnson, as
sociation president. criticized the
action. Of Thomas Devine Of Com
munity Research Associates in
proposing a plan whereby VIVA
would receive UCS support only
until 1855.
He contended it thus was i'm
possible for VIVA to consider
that the investigator had done
an impartial job.
Mr.. Devine himself expressed
dissatisfaction with the report
on another score in his letter
submitting it to Charles c. Clio
yer, Sd, UCS president.
This Is the first study that
we have undertaken which was
not designed to produce conclu-
SionS and recommendations" he
wrote. "It has not turned out to
be a satisfying experience.
Writing the report has been
difficult, and readers are apt to
feel. as we do, that the report
ends without being finished" he
added.
Presents Impartial Picture.
But Mr. Devine expressed be-
lief the material would present
an impartial picture of what
housing associations do and how
VIVA compares with other asso-
Citations.
The evaluation will be studied
by the UCS Executive Commit
tee. which will constitute itself
as the Chest Admissions Com
mittee for purposes Of processing
WHA's 1854 application. for
Chest support.
The committee will hold a spe-
cial meeting on the subject about
April 8. Recommendations on
all proposed admissions to the
Chest will go to the Board of
Trustees on April Is. The trus-
tees will take final action on
them on April %.
Cites Need of Rallying Point.
The researchers asserted that
IAN important role of successful
housing agencies is that of a
xallying point at which the vari-
GUS organizations connected with
housing come together"
''The principal block to WHA's
effectiveness" says the report,
sis its current inability to be a
rallying point"
This may result from the fact
that the executive director comes
from the public relations rather
than from the housing field, the
report Speculated. The director
is Mrs. Hilda Cloud.
WHA's board "does not have
as strong a representation from
the business life of the commu-
nifty as is desirable for an agen-
cy that attempts to mold public
opinion" the analysis continued,
The report said that in Wash
tngton, public insurance COM
pany-f1nanced and cooperative
housing are opposed by national
as well as local real estate bodies.
"The present inadequate budg-
ct precludes the employment of
a professionally qualified direc-
tor from the housing field such
as the Importance Of the program
requires" it went on, asserting:
"A strong. adequately financed
housing association. setting ma
tional patterns as well as follow
ing them. is needed for the sake
OF the Washington area and for
the Nations housing"