Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-07-29
Opponents Soy
Purchase Bid
Is Socialism
BY GRACE RASSETr

branded socialism, pure and
simple" by its opponents to-
day.
Property owners, builders and
civic leaders attacked the pro-
posal of the National Capital
Housing Authority to buy Ter
race Apartments both for what
the sale would and would not
do. Major opposition claims at
a hearing before the District
Commissioners were that the
purchase would:
Make public housing a dump
ing ground for private apart
ments that do not pay.
Precedent Feared
Set dangerous precedent Of
unfair competition between
public and private housing de-
velopers throughout the coun-
try.
Drive present Terrace tenants
out of their homes to make
room for families dependent on
charity housing.
Fail to clear slums.
Cause the District a tax loss
and downgrade the neighbour
hood around Terrace at Twen-
ty-third and Savannah street
Sc.
NCHA Director James Ring
insisted that the alternative 10
purchasing an apartment such
as Terrace was SLOW down or
stoppage of redevelopment be-
cause of the lack of rehouslng
facilities.
Admitting the novelty of
such a proposal Mr.. Ring said
the Commissioners we're called
on to set broad public policy on
future public housing.
Mr.. Ring stressed that NCHA
never would seek out private
rental properties and take them
by right of eminent domain
Norman Bernstein. Terrace
owner, offered his apartments
freely and without solicitation
OF the authority" Mr.. Ring
said.
Cites Critical Needs
Only the critical need for
housing for low-income fami-
lies turned the NCHA toward
the private market in the Dis
trict. he said. He was sup
ported by Charles A. Horsky,
president of the Washington
Housing Association, and Vlad-
imir E. Hartman. research and
church placing director of the
Council Of Churches of the
NaJlonal Capital Area.
Pitted against them were
Abraham Chaifetz of the Prop
erty Owners of America. Dis
trict Chapter: Thomas L. Laney
Of the Veterans Cooperative
Housing Association. which
owns Naylor Gardens; Ella r.
Foster, president Of the Gar
f1eld-Douglas Heights Citizens
Association, and Ernest F.
Henry and Herman Schmidt
of the Washington Home
builders Association.
THE NCHA proposes TO pur-
chase completed apartment
house for the sole purpose
of engaging in the real estate
business in competition with
private housing" Mr.. Chsifetz
charged. He said this was a
denial of the Authority's pur-
poses to clear slums and con-
struct housing on a vacant or
sparsely occupied land.
1T is nothing but socialism.
pure and simple" he added.
Tenant Shutting Hit
Both Mr.. chaifetz and Mr..
Laney scored this means Of
shutting tenants from one To-
cation to another. "a poor sub
stitute for new housing units"
Mr.. Laney said.
Mr.. Chaifetz asserted that the
Authority was turning out pres
ent terrace tenants merely TO
add to its housing empire
He warned Mr.. Ring that if his
authority could not come up
with a better solution 10 houS-
ing problems. the Property
Owners Of America would Join
with the Homebuilders AsSo-
citation in demanding a thor
ough investigation" of public
housing in the capital city.
Asks Protection"
Mrs. Foster pleaded with the
Commissioners to protect her
Garfield Douglas Heights
neighborhood from the de-
teriorating action she said pub
lie housing would cause. Al
ready 900 families. or 5000
people, live in three public
housing units in the area. she
testified.
Mr. Henry Tabled the Terrace
purchase as communal and
socialized housing by Govern
ment decree-a communication
Of public housing
This drew from Commits
sioner Robert +. Mclaughlin.
president Of the board the
question. do you still think
this Is communal when a pri-
vate owner approached the
public authority
The gamble Of free enter
prise is that YOU may make 9
profit or you may take a loss. i"
Mr. Henry said. by negotiating
with Terrace the NcHA Is
affecting that gamble - the
ECHA is destroying that bal
ance wheel
Mr. Henry insisted that II
the Terrace Apartments are
not making money. they should
sell on a private enterprise
market.