Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-10-23
NcHA CHALLENGED

many. including certain pub
lie housing ofiicials:
/. That neither the Fed
eral Public Housing Authority
nor the National Capital
Housing Authority can le-
gally purchase an apartment
project comparable to the
Terrace Apartments. even
though. according to news
paper reports. James Ring OF
NCHA states they are consi-
dering other properties. There
is no provision in the United
States Housing Act authoriz-
ing such a purchase.
2. NCHA possesses no
funds for such a purchase.
1t must make application to
FPHA for an ALLEGATION Of
funds for that specific pur-
pose.
3. As OF 1890 am. Friday,
October II. FPHA had no
ofiicial knowledge Of such q
proposed purchase.
4. The District Commits
sioners cannot actually au-
thorize such a purchase: they
can only recommend that
NCHA make application to
FPHA for funds for that
purpose.
Under the circumstances
many persons will find those
four statements somewhat
unpalatable, but they are
true.
In this instance I find my
self IN strange company.
Whereas most Of those who
opposed such a purchase were
opposed to public housing In
any form. /. on the other
hand. am a 100 per cent pub
lie houser. ! consider the
United States Housing Act to
be one Of the finest and most
beneficial legislative acts ever
enacted by Congress. If. and
I repeat the word. II. 1t is
conducted in accordance with
the provisions Of the act.
Mr.. Simpson. assistant to
Mr.. Ring Of NCHA. in a tele-
phone conversation with me
on Wednesday. October 8,
attempted to justify the pur-
chase under Sec. 2. para. S.
of the act. I informed Mr..
Simpson such an imaginable
Interpretation was not pos
sible within the wording Of
that section.
At 10 am. Friday. October
IL. I met with Mr.. Currie.
deputy commissioner Of
FPHA. Imagine my astonish-
ment when Mr.. Currie in
formed me he knew nothing
about such a purchase. Fur
ther. he insisted it was a
matter exclusively for NCHA
I disagreed with Mr.. Currie.
I stated such a purchase
would set a precedent that
would spread throughout the
United States. therefore 1t
was definitely FPHA business.
/ challenged Mr.. Currie to
get a legal opinion from the
chief legal counsel Of FPHA
that such a purchase was
possible under the terms Of
the act: further that FPHA
publicly announce their po-
sition on the matter in fair
ness to Congress and the gen.
eral public.
At this time / repeat that
request to Mr.. Slusser. COM
missioner. or Mr.. Currie, dep
uty commissioner. There
should be no secret about
this matter; either it can be
legally done or 1t cannot.
They owe II TO Congress to
state their position.
I spent years fighting for
the low-rent housing slum-
clearance program, because
I believed In It. I explained
every section Of the act from
more than a hundred plat
forms; before boards of SUI
pervisors. city councils. uni
versities. colleges, civic Or
CARNATIONS; yes, and for more
than two hours from the
stage Of the Civic Auditorium
in San Francisco at the real
estate convention in 1899.
wrote a series Of articles for
a chain OF newspapers, con-
Quoted a l3-week radio pro-
gram. and In every instance
] emphasized that to obtain
the greatest benefits from the
program II must be conducted
In full compliance with the
law as expressed by Congress,
Now. years later. / find the
splendid program for which
/. and others, fought so hard
to earn and gain public ac-
ceptance, In danger Of being
interpreted In a manner never
contemplated by Congress: To
bail out corporations and In