is no comfort to us to know that we are at the bottom of the totem pole when compared with other advanced countries. It is a strange paradox that, through our generous aid to the peoples of other nations, they are able to do a better job of caring for their elderly than we are doing. Under the Marshall plan, alone, we have rehoused more elderly people of other countries than our total achievement in our own country. We know that a substantial number of elderly people in every community are housed in quarters which are undesirable; and a considerable number of dwellings are unfit for human habitation. These citizens have gone through life with all of its cares and terrors and, at the same time, have made their contribution to our society. Now, many of them must give up their dignity and live in a shack, or deny themselves other necessities in order to live in a decent neighborhood. In short, American people are not housed in the manner to which our resources entitle them. The lack of decent shelter at prices within their means imposes special hardships on our low income elderly. We need to reevaluate the concepts of age and to develop a new respect for maturity and a greater appreciation for the contributions of our elderly in the progress of our Nation. We need a national social policy that recognizes the fact that most of our social problems are interrelated and that the basic cause of many of them lie in the realm of economics. Housing for the elderly is rapidly becoming a chronic area of organized exploitation of human need in American life. Speculative homebuilding for the elderly, supported by FHA underwriting, has become a sort of national lottery and, in some areas, is a vast sanctimonious "racket." Speculative builders play upon fundamental human emotions and age-old habits of thought. The aspiration to have the security of your own home is as old as civilization itself. But when an elderly person buys a home encumbered with a long-term mortgage, it often ceases to be a port of refuge in old age, but becomes a millstone in the days of adversity; and when it is most needed as a source of security the mortgaged home offers not refuge, but a trap for the savings of a lifetime's toil. Dr. Weaver, of the HHFA, stated recently that "90 percent of persons past 65 have incomes under $5,000." Yet the overwhelming percent of housing for elderly under construction today is for persons whose income should be above $5,000. In the past, FHA has even approved profit-oriented housing for elderly with special assistance funds under section 231, now we are turning section 221 (d) (3) into a bonanza for speculative builders. (See enclosed news item from the Los Angeles Times.) Some of our sloganizing builders exploiting our elderly with fantasyland retirement centers are trying to cast our elderly in the Hollywood mold. Too often, these glorified ghettos for the elderly are completely isolated from the mainstream of life. (See enclosed sales pitches.) In countries where they have been providing special housing from 30 to 50 years, it has been found that large concentrations of one age group is socially unsound and such a policy has been abandoned. Today these countries integrate small projects in normal neighborhoods. Elderly people are not one homogeneous mass with fixed and stereotyped needs. There are no such thing as a "statistic" person, nor is there any such thing as a typical city or town. The communities of our country have an infinite variety. No two are exactly in the same stage of development. No two have exactly the same heritage or the same circumstances. Most of them have a heritge of uneven growth; and most of them are suspicious of city slickers and the Federal Government. Among our elderly there is the widest conceivable difference in needs, desires, capabilities, and characteristics. For this reason our housing programs must meet a wide range of desires and needs and must do so imaginatively and with flexibility. Our fragmented and uncoordinated housing programs for the elderly is wasteful of money, exploits the individual, and fails to meet the social need. We lack practical experience in housing the elderly. There is a wide diversity of views that has caused us to become lost in a fog of conflicting political, social, and economic ideologies. This has resulted in the Housing Act of 1961 being a shotgun approach (something for everyone with peanuts for the needy elderly). Housing for the elderly, with Government assistance, has become a bonanza for the "quick buck" builders and phony cooperatives. In their blind and insenate greed, homebuilders and real-estate interests are conducting cruel and calculated campaigns against public housing for needy elderly. Because of natural physical decline with age, we need in every community a complex of housing developments serving all income groups ranging from garden apartments in the suburbs, bungalow-court type near shopping centers, highrise apartments on the perimeter of the central city, congregate living accommodations in converted hotels, and rest homes. Old folks have basic needs common to all age groups and special needs which arise out of their advanced years, particularly in their housing needs. A person who can manage his own household today may need to be transferred to a rest home tomorrow. Rest homes could be built by the project sponsor (but staffed by local agencies) so as to form an integrated group. Thus an elderly person living in a housing development would be transferred to the rest home if he became too feeble to mange himself; while on the other hand a resident in the rest home who convalesced sufficiently to manage himself would be trnasferred to the housing development. Cooperative planning between various social agencies could supply a complete set of facilities for the elderly, ranging from housing the completely well and able to manage to accommodations for the completely bedridden. A recreational center and health clinic, perhaps even a cafeteria and meals-on-wheels might well be integrated into the group. Psychological and social problems are often related to housing problems. We must think of housing the elderly, not in terms of shelter alone, but in terms of living environment. We dare not continue to fumble our way into the problem of adequately housing our elderly. The first requirement is to identify the total job to be done. The second requirement is to identify the total program needed to accomplish that job. There must be coordination of the total program at both the local and national levels. It is interesting to note that neither the FHA, PHA, or CFA makes an attempt to coordinate their market surveys. This leaves us in a never-never land of planning where social objectives are ground into oblivion under the wheels of the gravy train. We need a national committee or agency that can coordinate a housing program for the elderly reaching all income groups. Funds should be provided for educational and research programs. Too often housing for the elderly has been limited to drafting of blueprints and designs for construction. There is an implication that physical structures have social functions. Planners do not seem to understand that social functions themselves are structuralized, and that planning should be more concerned fundamentally with human relationships than with physical structures. Many housing projects have been marred because those who planned them failed to give attention to human as well as technical needs. Physical comfort is not enough. Social and psychological needs are influenced by and through living arrangements and income as well as through other facets of personal and community life. A program of purposeful activities should provide self rewarding work that is freely chosen. Recreation, in and by itself, serves no lasting purpose. The need to be wanted and useful cannot be met with shuffleboard courts, swimming pools, and bridge tournaments. While organized activities are helpful, activities for the elderly should be meaningful and provide opportunity for assuming responsibility. Elderly people have been pushed out of the main stream of life, thereby causing them to drift into political blocks that too often leads them into retrogression when faced with civic and political issues. Programs should be introduced to help the elderly relate themselves to local, State, National, and international events. Failure to recognize this need will lead to dire consequences and will result in a tremendous waste of accumulated talent and wisdom. Decent housing for our people will be one of the greatest political issues of the next decade. Governments will stand or fall by the evidence they give their citizens that they are dealing imaginatively, vigorously and realistically with one of the greatest needs of our people, second only to food, a satisfying place to live. CAL-19-9-20 UNITS PILOT PROJECT FOR ELDERLY DEVELOPED BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO IN THE CITY OF REDLANDS, CALIF. Initial occupancy: February 16, 1961. Data: Tenant body as of November 21, 1961: age span: 62 to 88 years; average age 72.6 years-One tenant age 62, eight tenants age 67 to 69, eight tenants age 70 to 79, three tenants age 80 to 88. Average income per family, $125.84; average rent per family, including utilities, $29.45; family composition: 17 single women, 2 single men, 1 couple. [From the Los Angeles Times, Mar. 25, 1962] INTERESTED IN A 100-PERCENT LOAN TO BUILD APARTMENT HOUSE? (By David Rees) How would you like to get a 100-percent loan to build an apartment house? Such loans are possible under a little-known Federal Housing Administration program, known as FHA section 221-d-3 market interest rate program, reports James DeNicholas, a specialist in the field. The program, he says is ideal for a group of friends who want to band together to build their own cooperative apartments to avoid paying high rents. It also is ideal for church or fraternal organizations to build apartments for their elderly members, although the program has no age restrictions, DeNicholas adds. Such cooperative and nonprofit groups can get loans for 100 percent of the FHA replacement cost of the project, he says, if: million. (A) The total cost of the project does not exceed $12 (B) The per unit cost does not exceed $8,500 if the project has less than a four-room per unit average. This may be hiked to $9,000 if it's an elevator building. (c) The per room cost does not exceed $2,250 in units with an average of four or more rooms. This may be increased to $2,750 in an elevator building. Moreover the room cost ceiling may be raised still higher ($500 more in Los Angeles, for example), if the project is built in a so-called high-cost area. NOT JUST NONPROFIT Nor is the program limited only to nonprofit cooperative groups, DeNicholas continues, for profit-making partnerships, trusts, corporations, individuals also may be approved by FHA, for FHA section 221-d-14. However, the loan is limited to 90 percent of replacement value as set by FHA if the mortgagor is not going to be a nonprofit group. Another item that makes this program a good deal for profit-minded individuals: They can take direct depreciation from the project and apply it against their regular income in their individual income tax statements, he notes. This makes it better than any other FHA program today, DeNicholas declares. (And DeNicholas is qualified to make such a statement since he is executive vice president here of Institutional Mortgage Co., a subsidiary of Wallace Investments, Inc. IMC originates and services mortgage loans for big eastern institutional lenders.) SPECIALIST IN FIELD (In so doing, DeNicholas has specialized in FHA loans, acting as professional adviser, arranging financing and processing for FHA mortgages.) Is it actually possible to get such a loan under current conditions? Yes, DeNicholas answers because Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) has special assistance funds for this program (at 98%1⁄2 percent of the net permanent loan). To be sure, a nonprofit group must have some money to get the project started, can't count wholly on the FHA 100-percent loan. A nonprofit group needs at least a minimum 2-percent working capital during construction and some additional money to start the project. Sponsors of profit projects, while they can get only a 90-percent loan actually are required by regulation to invest only 3 percent cash, can use their 10-per cent builder's profit and risk allowance and 3 percent general overhead allowance for the remaining 7 percent, DeNicholas says. However, somewhat more than 3 percent cash is required at the outset to get the project started, although much of this excess is returned before construction even starts. STATEMENT OF MRS. BARBARA BRIGHT, COMMUNITY WELFARE COUNCIL I am Mrs. Barbara Bright, a social worker employed by the Community Welfare Council as director of the Senior Citizens Information Center. There are relatively few professional people in this country working exclusively with the general problems of aging. I feel that in my position I am able to have a unique knowledge of the very varied needs of our senior adults. In trying to assist these people and provide sound planning for their unmet needs, it is essential to have adequate consultation service from the State and Federal Governments. In considering what service these governmental levels could be, it is important to keep in mind that no one from the outside, no matter how well versed, can come into a community for a few days and provide an adequate plan. Local planning must be done by local people, with the very necessary assistance of outside specialists. The Senior Citizens Information Center provides a direct service to the area on the many specialized facilities for the elderly. In the past 3 years, over 4,000 people have been helped to determine and to use a wide variety of services. As I talk with these people, I feel that I not only have a direct knowledge of their needs, but also I realize the great need for help in planning solutions to their problems. Every day I come up against the question of the satisfying use of leisure time. Recreational facilities are fairly well supplied in this area, but many a time a retired person will come into my office after the "honeymoon of retirement" is over, saying "I am sick and tired of playing games, I want to do something useful." Too frequently persons in their seventies will call to say they are getting desperate because their social security check of $54 will not cover even the basic needs and all capital reserves are used up. Often these persons do not know where help is available or they have always had strong feelings about the word "charity." With counseling help they are able to explore the possibilities for self-support or are given help in understanding and accepting agency assistance. I don't think I need to tell this group about the frequent requests received for obtaining essential medical care. Nursing home care often presents a large and frightening problem to the elderly and their relatives. Some progress is being made on a national basis to assist with the financial phase of this problem, but consultation help is needed from State and Federal levels in order to provide necessary information for our community to develop a comprehensive plan on the many aspects of adequate care for the chronically ill. As Dr. Robert Morris of Brandeis University has said, 75 percent of all funds for the aged goes to institutions and yet only 3 to 6 percent of the elderly are served by these institutions. In the past 4 months, I have had several calls from a 79-year-old lady in a wheelchair, with an 84-year-old blind husband. Each time it is basically the same problem, "if only someone could come in a couple of hours a day to cook dinner and fix the house we could remain in our own home." All reports from geriatric specialists say it is best to keep people independent as long as possible. We cannot prepare the best plan for this need without State and Federal advice on the experience of other communities, the securing of financing for such a project, etc. We are very concerned about the almost overwhelming interest of real estate people in "getting on the senior citizen bandwagon." It is certainly true that there is a great need for specialized housing, but should these be isolated from the general community; what services should be required to be integrated into the program; who is to say what would be the best distribution of such facilities? Some builders have come to me with some very-well-thought-out plans, but too many have forgotten or ignored what I consider some of the basic needs. and the whole community need consultation service from governmental levels in order to guarantee that in another few years we do not have many very unhappy senior citizens in unsuitable housing. With careful planning at this time, much of this can be avoided. I As I work within my own limited budget of time and money, I try to pull out the facts about the needs of our elderly. However, if our own local planning is to be on a realistic, rather than impressionistic basis, we need both State and Federal groups for the compilation and distribution of statistical information. We have a senior citizens advisory committee of the board of directors of the community welfare council. This is comprised of the professional and lay people in the community working with or interested in the problems of the elderly. This group not only studies needs, but recommends further developments and provides for evaluation and possible adjustment of existing services. We have been able to assist several groups in the development of special services for the senior adults. Senior Activities, Inc., a federated group of the senior citizens clubs, was originally sponsored by the council, with its function being to provide services to this age group that the individual clubs could not handle, such as a newsletter, and a sales outlet for craftwork. Therapeutic activities project was developed in conjunction with the Sanitarium and Rest Home Association of San Diego County, Inc., to provide a rehabilitation program for the residents of nursing and boarding homes. Under professional direction, this project trains and utilizes volunteers to carry out the program. The staff and advisory committee of the council have provided consultation services to many agencies such as recreation departments, public health department, department of public welfare, etc. Through these efforts, each of these has been able to develop its own specialized services for senior citizens, without duplicating efforts by some other group. Countless other communities are struggling with many of the same problems that we have in this area. With the formation of commissions on aging at both the State and Federal level, as recommended in the White House Conference, it will be possible to have a direct line for the exchange of information and experience. Without adequate planning groups at all governmental levels, there will be a danger of duplication of services by varying disciplines and lack of service in some areas. If these commissions could be comprised of the representatives of the many groups giving service, such as health, education, and welfare, plus members at large, we would in time have a well balanced program for the people of this country. It is essential that we have the integration and coordination of the many disciplines and services for the aged. We cannot afford the luxury of not rehabilitating this group. The problem is real and it is expensive. We have the tools at hand, but the right hand must know what the left hand is doing. Mr. TED ELLSWORTH, EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF LOS ANGELES, Special Consultant on Aged and Aging, General Subcommittee on Education, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. ELLSWORTH: Please find attached a resolution on the church and medical care for the aging and a resolution on the church and housing for the elderly which were adopted by the 67th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, meeting in San Diego February 15, 1962. They reflect the opinion of more than 1,000 delegates from the communities of southern California. I had hoped very much to present these resolutions, along with some verbal commentary, to the hearings of the General Subcommittee on Education scheduled for San Diego April 1, 1962. If we can give you any further information on the concern of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles for the needs of the elderly please do not hesitate to call upon us. Sincerely yours, ROBERT T. STELLAR, Executive Secretary, Department of Christian Social Relations. RESOLUTION ON HOUSING FOR THE ELDERLY Whereas the State of California boasts a population of 1,300,000 persons 65 years and over and by 1970 anticipates having more than 2,000,000; and Whereas census studies reveal that 55 percent do not have more than $1,000 per year cash income and cannot afford rentals over $60 to $75 per month; and Whereas the United States Saving & Loan League has published figures that |