Housing Amendments of 1955

reside. The planning of the homes would provide the maximum of safety and the minimum of requirement for climbing and other physical exertion.

In the two Congresses of which I have been a Member I have served on the Bauking and Currency Committee. During the 4 years covered by my congressional service I have lived with the housing problem which, as the Members know, is in the jurisdiction of that committee. I have been distressed that greater progress has not been made. Unfortunately, the housing shortage and the inability to put comfortable roofs within the financial reach of many of our people remains America's No. 1 domestic problem. I shall continue to devote myself to the task of aiding in achieving a sound solution to that problem. I bespeak your hearty cooperation on the phase relating to the housing of the aged. I hope and pray that on that phase there be complete unanimity.

By unanimous consent, I am extending my remarks to include the following article from the Daily Calumet :

"Attorney Alfred O'Connor, of South Chicago, has made public the text of a resolution calling on Federal, State, and local governments to provide old age rest homes for America's elderly citizens. The resolution was adopted at the recent State convention of the Fraternal Order of Eagles.

"South Chicago Aerie, No. 1358, of which O'Connor is a member of many years' standing, first adopted the resolution. Later it was approved by the northeast district of the lodge. O'Connor now plans to present the document at the national convention.

""The Eagles fostered old-age social-security pensions which are now law,' O'Connor said. 'We now seek to provide housing facilities for the elderly folks of America-within their means to pay for their own maintenance and support in healthy, fireproof homes.'

"Here is the text of the Eagle resolution sponsored by Mr. O'Connor: "'Whereas there are old-age rest homes maintained and operated in various parts of the country in many cities, towns, and villages throughout the United States wherein elderly men and women who receive old-age assistance or are living on a pension or other modest income are required to seek a place of residence where they do not have room to live with their children due to present crowded housing situations throughout the country; and

"Whereas many of the present old-age rest homes are practically boardinghouses and are virtual firetraps and many of them have burned down, killing their elderly occupants and which are unsafe and not fireproof; and

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'Whereas many of the present privately operated old-age rest homes charge large and exorbitant fees from $100, $150, and $200 per month, and in many cases their charges are so exorbitant that even the sons and daughters are desirous of assisting their parents financially, they are unable to do so; and

"Whereas many of the men and women who desire to live in decent housing may need nursing or medical care from time to time and the money they receive from pensions or social security or other modest income is not sufficient to enable them to secure proper living quarters wherein they could pay their board, room, and maintenance on money they are reeciving from such sources; and

"Whereas there is a housing shortage in the United States and the Government * * * has done nothing to enable our elderly men and women of America find clean, healthy, safe homes in which to spend their declining years and there is a dire need to furnish old-age rest homes and to construct public housing or to construct old-age rest homes in various parts of the large cities where elderly men and women could live in the communities and neighborhoods wherein they have spent their lives and there is need of construction of such housing as oldage rest homes, and *** Therefore, be it

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'Resolved, That the Fraternal Order of Eagles urge the Federal, State, and local governments to establish old-age rest homes throughout the various cities, communities, and villages of America to be owned, maintained, or operated by the Federal, State, and local governments to furnish housing facilities and safe, healthy, and clean living quarters under the care, maintenance, management, and supervision of the Federal, State, and local governments and they be urged to pass legislation for the construction, maintenance, and operation of old-age rest homes throughout the United States of America and in various communities of our large cities, towns, and villages to enable the elderly men and women of America of modest means to have clean, healthy, and safe housing facilities and homes in which they can spend their declining years, within their means and ability to pay for their own care and maintenance; be it further

"Resolved, That the State convention of the Fraternal Order of Eagles be urged to pass a fitting resolution for said purpose and the Grand Aerie conven

tion of the Fraternal Order of Eagles at their next annual convention be urged to pass a resolution in favor of construction of old-age rest homes and requesting Federal, State, and local governments to cooperate in accomplishing said purpose by appropriating proper funds and passing legislation for the purpose of accomplishing such housing facilities.''

The CHAIRMAN. We are glad to have your views. I am sure we will consider them when we go into executive session.

Mr. O'HARA. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. Call the next witness, Mr. Clerk.

Mr. HALLAHAN. The Honorable Jack Westland, of Washington. Mr. VANIK. Mr. Chairman, before this next witness testifies, could I simply read into the record that I would like to reserve any right to extend my remarks in the record at this point in support of the legislation introduced by my colleague?

The CHAIRMAN. You may insert your remarks at this point in the

record.

(The following statement was submitted by Mr. Vanik:)

STATEMENT OF CHARLES A. VANIK, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF OHIO

Mr. VANIK. Mr. Chairman and members of the Banking and Currency Committee, it is my urgent hope that in enacting the housing bill of 1955 we take in consideration the serious problem of housing for the aged. With the increase in the life span of our citizens made possible by reason of medical progress and the development of our culture, it is time that we recognize the need for taking care of the senior citizens of our community so that they can retire and live in dignity as people who have made a great contribution to the economic and cultural development of our society.

I am pleased in joining with 12 other members of this committee who have sponsored the proposals of Congressman Barratt O'Hara of Illinois in supporting this meritorious legislation to provide housing for the aged. Under section 203 of our Housing Act, very few senior citizens can qualify for new housing. Furthermore, practically no new housing has been constructed to be within the reach of their low incomes.

In recognizing the housing problem of our senior citizens, we must pay particular attention to the fact that most of them have income levels which are at a low plateau and that inevitably the family unit faces a reduction in its members leaving one or the other a widow or widower.

A community investment in housing for our senior citizens is an investment in ourselves, for their security is our security. Their needs are not many and their gratitude will be the most satisfying compensation the American taxpayer has ever received.

The average annual income of our senior citizens is between $1,000 and $2,000. We must take steps in our housing program to provide housing for this very important segment of our population so that the closing years of American life are as sheltered as we seek to make the early years of our citizens. There is no program of thrift or security which can guarantee dignified retirement. For those who have tried but have fallen short, we must establish a minimum decent standard of living and standard of housing which will insure a level of

believe they have been neglected specifically, but I think inadvertently. I believe this is good legislation.

I have a letter here from the Puget Sound Chapter of the National Association of Housing Officials supporting this bill and this legislation.

I would like to have permission to submit this for the record, Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. Permission is granted.

(The information is as follows:)

STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE JACK WESTLAND, SECOND DISTRICT, WASHINGTON

Mr. Chairman and committee members, my name is Jack Westland, Congressman from the Second District of Washington. I am appearing before you on behalf of H. R. 3718, a bill which I introduced to provide housing in Government low-rent projects for single elderly persons.

H. R. 3718 would authorize the Public Housing Commissioner to enter into agreements with local public-housing authorities for the admission of widows, widowers, or a single person 60 or over to federally assisted low-rent housing projects. Under the terms of the bill their income must not exceed applicable income limits and their admission must not prevent or delay the admission of any eligible family to the project. Once admitted, the same conditions for continued occupancy would apply as with respect to family tenants.

I do not believe it is necessary to belabor the point that there are more elderly people in our society than ever before. Statisticians have proven that longevity is steadily increasing. The percentage of aged persons in my State is increasing rapidly due to migration of families to the growing west and the healthful, invigorating climate of the area.

Statistics furnished by the Bureau of the Census conservatively estimate there to be at least 1,600,000 widows, widowers and single persons in the country who could otherwise qualify for low-rent housing if they were not single. While I have been unable to compile figures on a national scale to indicate the need these people have for low-rent housing, I have figures from own district and the Puget Sound area which do indicate a grave need. Furthermore, they indicate that if my bill were adopted facilities would be available.

We have Federal housing units in Seattle, Bremerton and Everett. Managers of the units have reported that they have received numerous applications from single elderly persons, now barred from occupying Federal low-rent housing.

For instance, in Everett, there are 1,098 single persons over 65 drawing old-age benefits who are desperately in need of adequate housing at low cost. They live in a relatively high-cost area on small, fixed incomes. The Government housing unit in Everett has 100 single living units and the director of the Everett Housing Authority has stated that 35 to 40 of these are vacant and would be available for widows or widowers or other single persons if they could legally occupy them. In one project in Seattle this year there have been 288 applications from single persons, and the housing director estimates that there would be hundreds more were it not generally known that single persons cannot get in the projects.

Of course, the question of availability of housing units is pertinent to this bill. My bill provides that single persons would have occupancy only when families are completely serviced and vacancies exist. In Bremerton, for instance, 7.6 percent of the units are vacant. This project has 280 single units out of 600 and could take care of many single elderly persons.

The director of the Bremerton Housing Authority has written that finding living accommodations for aged single persons is a constant problem for the local welfare department. He further indicates that even though aged single persons have never been acceptable applicants for public housing, his office receives from 2 to 6 inquiries per week from people newly faced with this problem who are unaware of the policy.

Because the life span of United States citizens is increasing and there are additional numbers of widows due to the female of the species tending to outlive their spouses, I believe the housing problem of the single aged person will become more serious on a national scale in years to come.

Providing facilities in Federally operated housing developments would contribute an added measure of security and relieve hardship for older people now

Mr. O'HARA. Mr. Chairman, may the other members of the committee, many of whom have sponsored this bill, have the right, if they desire, to extend their remarks at this point in the record?

The CHAIRMAN. Without objection, they all have the right to extend their remarks at this point.

You may proceed, Mr. Westland.

STATEMENT OF HON. JACK WESTLAND, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

Mr. WESTLAND. Mr. Chairman, committee members, I have a prepared statement here which I have submitted, but in view of the fact that the gentleman from Illinois just spoke on the same subject that I would like to talk about I would ask permission to speak extemporaneously on my bill.

This bill is H. R. 3718, which would provide for housing for elderly people. My bill doesn't go as far as the bill of the gentleman from Illinois, but it varies in 1 or 2 respects.

For example, I define what an elderly single person is. I limit it to age 60, where, I believe, under the bill from the gentleman from Illinois, a single person of any age would be eligible.

I also have in this bill that a single person could not prevent_a family from occupying a part of this low-cost Federal housing. In other words, if you were to have a vacancy, let us say, and you had an application, both from a single elderly person and you had an application from a family, the family would take precedence, and I believe that that is the correct way of doing this.

I don't think that individuals, even though their need might be perhaps as great as the family's, I don't believe they should take precedence over the requirements of a family.

The gentleman from Illinois has spoken on the need for this thing, and he is quite right. I have some very definite facts and figures in my own district which I would like to bring to the attention of this committee. I have been unable to get figures on a national scale, but, for example, in the city of Everett, Wash., there are 1,098 single persons over 65 drawing old-age benefits. This Government housing unit in that city has 400 units, and it has 100 single bedroom units, but 30 to 40 of these are vacant, and they are vacant simply because under the present law single elderly persons cannot live in them.

Now, that is not only an injustice to these people who qualify for that housing, but it is poor business. If you have the space available, and you have people asking for it, then it seems to me to be good business to rent it to them, and I have been advised by the manager of that housing project that these are good tenants, these people that as a matter of fact were kicked out of there at one time and would like to live there.

We have had word from Seattle that they had about 288 applications in the last year from single persons, and the housing director tells me there would be a great many more applicants if it wasn't generally known that single persons can't get in there.

There is no question but what these people, as the gentleman from Illinois has said, have been neglected in this housing matter. I don't