FURTHER STATEMENTS SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD 603 



the needs of population expansion must be met. The extent to 

 which they are met while preserving to the utmost the beauties of 

 nature will depend primarily upon the awareness of, the respect for, 

 and the appreciation of the values of natural beauty by the people. 

 Government can provide the leadership in arousing the people. 

 This conference can be valuable for that reason if for none other, 

 for the necessity of meeting the demands of the anticipated popula- 

 tion explosion in the years ahead requires not only our most thorough 

 study, but also the understanding and sympathetic response of the 

 people. 



The problems involved in restoration of already blighted urban 

 and rural areas are multitudinous. There is neither a single answer 

 nor easy answers. Compulsion of one kind or another by various 

 levels of government is indicated in the form of laws setting minimal 

 standards below which a condition of unnatural lack of beauty or 

 safety (blight) will not be tolerated. Yet law alone cannot achieve 

 reform. The people must want it. Individual leadership on a vast 

 scale in many areas of need must come forward, and where not now 

 in evidence must be developed. 



The National Association of Real Estate Boards accepts the obli- 

 gation of working particularly in two areas of need where the capa- 

 bilities of our membership can be especially helpful. The first such 

 area is in analyzing the residential blight of cities and towns and 

 thereupon setting forth a detailed program of recommended pro- 

 cedures and sequential steps by which the conditions may be over- 

 come and eliminated. Our current program provides for teams of 

 Realtors experienced in urban renewal problems whose time is made 

 available as a public service when requested by the local real estate 

 board, in which the local government joins. To date such analyses 

 have been made in 34 communities under what is known as our 

 Build America Better program, including such cities as Pittsburgh, 

 San Francisco, Honolulu, Seattle, Iowa City, and Huntington, W. 

 Va. The resulting reports have suggested and brought action on 

 both short- and long-term objectives which the cities are now pur- 

 suing. 



Secondly, we seek to take more aggressive action in slum elimina- 

 tion and substitution of subsidized-rental housing under nonprofit or 

 limited-profit private ownership. Proposals made to the Congress 

 and currently under consideration, if enacted into law, will open the 

 way for Realtors to help welfare-oriented groups, including churches, 



779-595 6& 39 



