Evening star., 1954-11-11
Realtors Say Drive
ToKiIIPubIic HOUSING
Finally Has Paid OF
BY Robert ]. Lewis
Ssor Siaff Core. pondent

S'ut SsuH SoffespoHdenf
CLEVELAND. Nov. IL. The
Nations realtors are convinced
their long -drawn-out campaign
to kill public housing finally has
paid of with action by Congress
this year.
In a frank report to the fifth
annual convention Of the Ma
tional Association of Real Estate
Boards, the organizations
Washington legislative group
concluded the public housing
program has been saddled with
so many restrictions in the form
OF IFS. ands and butts that it will
have little real meaning.
TN the opinion Of. the real
tors Washington committee-an
opinion shared by the most pro-
public housing advocates - this
very restricted program sounds
the death knell of our country'S
political housing experiment un-
less it is revived by a subsequent
Congress-" a committee report
said.
Building Plan.
The committee attributed its
success in imposing restrictions
on the public housing program
partly to an alternative Build
America Better" scheme it has
widely publicized for several
years.
"The Housing Act Of 1854 re-
emphasized slum clearance and
urban redevelopment programs
as set forth in the Housing Act
of 1949." the report pointed out.
Zone Of the basic principles of
Nareb's build America better
program was that communities
must accept more responsibility
for slum prevention as well as
Slum clearance"
In working with Congress
for more favorable legislation.
the organizations representatives
urged the Congress to write
into the urban renewal provi-
sions of the housing act STATUE
tory insistence that local COM
munities accept a greater
degree of responsibility toward
the prevention of slums and
blight" the report explained.
When housing legislation was
approved earlier this year, a
joint House-Senate conference
committee limited public hous-
ing to a one-year program of
only $4,000 new public housing
units with proviso that such
units be limited to communities
having approved urban renewal
programs. H..
5000, Units Each Year.
President Eisenhower had
asked for a four-year program
of $4,000 units each year.
"Also," the committee said,
"the number of units to be ap-
proved for a community we're to
be not more than those units
required to- relocate persons dis
placed as a result OF slura clears
ance, and. the occupants were to
be such displaced persons who
are otherwise eligible for sadmiSS
sion to public housing" 3
The committee made clear it
believed it's work was made more
difficult, even though not blocked.
by the Eisenhower administers a
tion's pro-public housing stand.
Efforts of the realtors WASH
ington committee toward termi-
nation of the Federal public
housing program were compli-
Gated in 1854 by the recommen-
dation of the President in his
housing message to the Congress
that a four-year public housing
program of $4,000 new authori-
cations a year be approved as
part of the administrations
housing program" the commit
tee explained.
The realtors Washington COM
mittee has been headed for the
last two years by Henry G..
Waltemade of New York, who is
slated to head the National Real
Estate Trade Association next
year.
To Fight for Legislation.
Earlier Fritz B. Burns of Los
Angeles, chairman of the asso-
cations Build America Better
Council. told delegates that real
tors will fight in 1855 for State
legislation to advance rehabili-
tation Of blighted properties.
Blight and deterioration have
produced the most difficult and