Evening star., 1955-06-19
BY RICHARD FRYKLUND

When the Senate passed an
expanded public housing bill
recently the Nations realtors
reacted with considerable ex-
ASPIRATION. For the men who
market the country's homes
believe public housing Is the
wrong cure for what ails the
housing industry.
The right approach. they
say, is a vast program Of
"neighborhood conservation"
carried out by private enter
prise. If 1t is done this way,
the realtors say. America can
eliminate all her slums by
l96O--at the same time keep
ing housing on q business
like" basis and benefiting own
ers and renters alike.
II may be that ''neighbor-
hood conservation" is only the
realtors defensive reaction to
"socialized" housing (realtors
say not). But the fact remains
that they have a specific alter
native to public housing, and
their alternative is being used
In several American cities.
Realtors Program
What is the realtors pro-
gram?
The National Association Of
Real Estate Boards explains it
this way:
First. NAREB recognizes
that much housing in this
country Is unfit to live in.
Decent homes should be avail
able for all, and 1t is the obli-
cation of private enterprise to
provide them.
It can be done, NAREB
says, If the housing industry
is run something like the auto
mobile industry.
A considerable number Of
new homes should be built
each year-at least as many
as have been built annually
In the recent housing boom.
This has been at q minimum
rate Of a new home each year
for every 5oth family. Persons
who want and can afford the
new homes will buy them,
Just as those persons buy new
cars. Other persons will look
to the fused home" market.
They do this now, Of course.
but. NAREB would bring in
two important changes. First.
the used home would be
thoroughly reconditioned, and
an "Okay" stamp, in effect,
would be hung on it by the
city or State Government.
Second, homes too worn
out" to be reconditioned would
be jupked--again, If necessary,
on Government order, just as
battered talopies now are ruled
of the highways.
Poor Housing Codes
Today reconditioning is sell
dom mandatory. Most cities
have poor housing codes, II
any, and most codes that do
exist are not enforced. So
basically sound homes are al
lowed to run down and become
SlunlS.
At the same time, almost
no homes are junked. The
number of homes taken OF
the market through condenn-
nation, clearance for new
construction or by sheer COLI
lapse is less than one-tenth
Of per cent a year-and the
current junking rate is the
highest that has ever existed.
So slums are created, and
slums are almost never de-
stroyed.
Under NAREB's neighbor-
hood conservation program
there would be a sharp i'm
provement in the homes Of
the slum areas and then con-
tinual construction of new
homes, repair Of older ones
and demolition Of the Oldest.
AS homes grow older.
NAREB says. they will de-
crease in rental price, but viii
always provide comfortable
living for lower income groups.
How to Do 1t
How will this be brought
about?
NAREB starts with its own
members, the realtors, and
asks them to arouse commu-
nifty interest in neighhorhood
conservation. The first step
usually is to lobby for q new
housing code--one with teeth
In it--and then demand that
It be strictly enforced.
The group then starts to
work on O rundown neigh.
borhood. They seek co-opera-
ton of property owners. city
ofiicials and community lead
ers to do these things:
. Rehabilitate neglected
housing at the expense Of the
owners.
. Demolish unfit housing at
the expense Of the owners.
. Secure improvement by the
city Of streets, parks. play
grounds, schools. street light
ing, refuse collection. etc.
o Attract new building 10
available sites In the old
ineiehbofhood.