Evening star., 1953-08-25
Dealing With the Cause of SIums

There are two methods by which cities are
trying to get rid of their slums or blighted
areas.
One involves redevelopment of a whole
area by razing existing structures and building
from fresh start in accordance with an ap-
proved plan. We have one such plan for an
area in southwest Washington. This method
involves the most drastic sort of municipal
surgery.
The other method, given a demonstration
In neighboring Baltimore which has attracted
much attention is to enforce adequate regula-
tionS requiring the owners and tenants of prop
erty to clean up, to eliminate nuisances in the
form of menaces to health and public safety
and to take steps that will halt and finally re-
verse a trend toward creation of worse Sums.
This is the sort of "sum- clearance plan"
under consideration now at the District Build
Ing. It's guiding philosophy is to deal with the
recognizable causes of slums rather than with
the effects. In Washington there are gray"
areas which have not reached the level of
slumS, but are on their way
Among the things most necessary to make
such plan effective are regulations and legis-
lative authority to make them, that require
standards of maintenance comparable in some
degree with standards now applied to new con-
struction; leadership at the District Building
to coordinate the various activities of the
health authorities, the building inspectors, the
sanitary inspectors, and other municipal agen-
cies. Equally important is the enlistment of
public support of the steps to be taken by the
municipal government.
General PrentiSs, the Engineer Commits
sioner, is making start by assembling infor-
nation on what the municipal authorities need
In the way of new legislation and municipal
regulations, and personnel to enforce the regu-
lationS. We have on the books, for example,
authority to condemn buildings no longer con-
sidered fit for human habitation. We do not
have the authority, however to force the owner
of such building to tear it down, or to pay for
having it done. That authority requires legis-
lation. The mere existence of condemned build
tngs, standing unoccupied in neighborhood of
occupied dwellings, has a degrading effect on
that neighborhood.
We lack proper housing code. Efforts to
have one enacted in the past have been unsuc-
ceSSful, for various reasons. Studies are under
way at the District Building to draw one up
that will not be defeated merely by the COM
pleXitieS Of its provisions and their enforce
ment. Another Assistant Engineer Commits
sioner, to be assigned to the coordination of
steps to be taken by the municipality has been
requested and may be sent to the District
Building.
1t seems to The Star that these efforts have
q practical and obtainable objective and should
receive public support. Baltimore has set a
good example of what .can be accomplished,
If on relatively small scale. If we can begin
now on a workable plan for enforcement of
standards in existing housing as one means
of halting deterioration in areas that show
warning indications of becoming slums, the
effort may gather strength and scope with ex-
perience. Certainly it is worth trial to show
what can be done.