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{
    "localId": "1133487",
    "label": "10/18/76 - Women in Housing Conference, Albuquerque",
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    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1133487"
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{
    "id": "1133487",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1133487",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "10/18/76 - Women in Housing Conference, Albuquerque",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1133487",
    "collections": [
        "Carla A. Hills Speeches",
        "Speeches"
    ],
    "subjects": [
        "Construction industry",
        "Credit",
        "Federal aid",
        "Fiscal policy",
        "Housing",
        "Industries",
        "Sex discrimination",
        "Urban policy",
        "Women"
    ],
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    "coverageEndDate": {
        "day": 18,
        "logicalDate": "1976-10-18",
        "month": 10,
        "year": 1976
    },
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        "month": 10,
        "year": 1976
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{
    "seq": 1,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "document",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/ford/grf-0305/656148/1133487.pdf",
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    "ocrText": "The original documents are located in Box 2, folder \"10/18/76 - Women in Housing\nConference, Albuquerque\" of the Carla A. Hills Speeches at the Gerald R. Ford\nPresidential Library.\nCopyright Notice\nThe copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of\nphotocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United\nStates of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.\nWorks prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public\ndomain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to\nremain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid\ncopyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nDigitized from Box 2 of the Carla A. Hills Speeches at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\nFINAL\n(\nWOMEN IN HOUSING CONFERENCE\nOCTOBER 18, 1976\nFIRST, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME TO THIS\nIMPORTANT CONFERENCE WHOSE REASON FOR BEING IS STEEPED\nIN PRINCIPLES THAT HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO ME\nFOR MANY YEARS -- ANTEDATING MY APPOINTMENT TO HUD.\nAND, I ESPECIALLY WANT TO THANK MY GOOD FRIEND SENATOR\nPETE DOMENICI FOR PERSUADING ME TO VISIT ALBUQUERQUE TO\nSPEAK TO THE WOMEN IN HOUSING CONFERENCE. As A FORMER MAYOR,\nTHE SENATOR IS ONE WHOSE ADVICE AND COUNSEL I PARTICULARLY\nVALUE, AND HE CERTAINLY WAS RIGHT ABOUT YOUR DEDICATION AND\nENTHUSIASM.\nI SUPPOSE EVERY WOMAN WHO WORKS IN THE INTEREST OF WOMEN'S\nADVANCEMENT HAS HER OWN FAVORITE STORY OF ABSURD DISCRIMINATION.\nAs A LAWYER, MY PRIZE GOES TO THE CASE OF BRADWELL V. THE STATE\nOF ILLINOIS A CENTURY AGO (83 U.S. 677 -- 1873) -- IN WHICH\nTHE SUPREME COURT UPHELD ILLINOIS' POWER TO PREVENT MYRA COLBY\nBRADWELL FROM PRACTICING LAW BECAUSE SHE WAS A WOMAN,\nA.\nGERALD\n-2-\nA STATEMENT IN THE CONCURRING OPINION IS WORTHY OF BEING\nHAND-STITCHED ON AN OLD SITTING-ROOM SAMPLER. JUSTICE BRADLEY\nSAID:\n\"THE NATURAL AND PROPER TIMIDITY AND\nDELICACY WHICH BELONGS TO THE FEMALE\nSEX EVIDENTLY UNFITS IT FOR MANY OF\nTHE OCCUPATIONS OF CIVIL LIFE.\"\nHE SAID \"EVIDENTLY\". EVIDENTLY THE LEARNED JUSTICE\nFAILED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT AT THE VERY TIME HE WAS\nWRITING, THE MOST POWERFUL RULER IN THE WESTERN WORLD WAS\nA FEMALE NAMED VICTORIA, HER \"TIMIDITY AND DELICACY\" IN\nCIVIL AFFAIRS MAY WELL HAVE BEEN DEVOUTLY WISHED FOR BY\nTHE SUCCESSION OF SIX PRIME MINISTERS WHO SERVED UNDER HER\n64-YEAR REIGN,\nBUT, AS WE KNOW, THERE ARE MANY MYTHS ABOUT THE \"PROPER\"\nROLE OF WOMEN IN SOCIETY -- AND MANY OF THEM PERSIST TODAY,\n-3-\nIN THE AREA OF HOUSING -- PARTICULARLY IN SECURING\nMORTGAGES -- WOMEN ARE STILL FIGHTING OLD PREJUDICES IN\nSPITE OF LAWS AND SUPPORTING STATISTICS WHICH MAKE SUCH\nDISCRIMINATION BOTH UNLAWFUL AND UNFOUNDED, I WOULD\nLIKE TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE THINGS.\nBUT, IN DISCUSSING THE ECONOMIC PROSPECTS FOR PARTICIPATION\nBY WOMEN IN THE HOUSING MARKET, WE CANNOT IGNORE THE STATE\nOF THE GENERAL ECONOMY WHICH AFFECTS THE ABILITY OF ANY PERSON\nTO BUY OR RENT A HOME,\nFOR, PRESUMING THAT WE SUCCEED IN ELIMINATING THE\nLAST VESTIGES OF SEX DISCRIMINATION, IT WILL BE A HOLLOW\nVICTORY IF WE DO NOT ALSO SUCCEED IN CONTROLLING INFLATION\nWHICH DISCRIMINATES ABSOLUTELY AGAINST ALL PEOPLE.\nSo, LET US BEGIN BY TAKING STOCK.\n-4-\nNONE OF US CAN FORGET THAT IN 1975, THE MAJOR QUESTION-\nMARK WAS WHETHER OUR NATIONAL ECONOMY WOULD SUSTAIN THE\nFORWARD MOMENTUM WHICH WAS THEN ON THE CUSP OF A POSITIVE\nTURN-AROUND -- FROM THE BLEAK AND DEPRESSING 12-MONTH\nPERIOD OF A TERRIFYING RECESSION COMPOUNDED BY AN UNCEASING\nINCREASE IN THE COST OF EVERYTHING.\nINFLATION STOOD AT 12-14 PERCENT, THE UNEMPLOYMENT\nRATE WAS ABOUT 9 PERCENT.\nURBAN REVENUES WERE WAY DOWN. NEW YORK WAS ON THE\nBRINK OF FINANCIAL FAILURE, INDUSTRY WAS DEPRESSED AND\nTHE HOUSING SECTOR WAS SUFFERING ITS WORST YEAR IN THREE\nDECADES,\nON CAPITOL HILL, LABOR AND POLITICAL LEADERS WERE\nPROPHESIZING A NATIONAL COLLAPSE UNLESS WE ENGAGED IN\nMASSIVE FEDERAL SPENDING -- IN THE FORM OF SUBSIDIES --\nPARTICULARLY IN THE HOUSING INDUSTRY, WE DID NOT SUCCUMB\nTO THAT TEMPTATION,\nSo, HERE WE ARE -- ONE YEAR LATER,\n-5-\nTHE NATION AND ITS ECONOMY SURVIVED -- AND THE\nDELICATE HEALTH OF THE ECONOMIC UPTURN, WHICH WE WATCHED\nso FRETFULLY A YEAR AGO, HAS BECOME STRONGER AND STRONGER\nWITH EACH PASSING MONTH,\nIN ONE SHORT YEAR WE HAVE SEEN:\nPERSONAL INCOME JUMP $83 BILLION; -- OUR GROSS\nNATIONAL PRODUCT GROW BY $200 BILLION; RETAIL SALES\nINCREASE 16 PERCENT; GENERAL MERCHANDISE 11 PERCENT;\n-- NEW FACTORY ORDERS UP $17 BILLION,\nTODAY, THERE ARE THREE MILLION MORE AMERICANS WORKING\nTHAN ONE YEAR AGO -- IN SPITE OF A TREMENDOUS INFLUX OF\nWOMEN AND YOUNG PEOPLE INTO THE LABOR MARKET.\nINFLATION HAS BEEN MORE THAN CUT IN HALF.\nIN HOUSING -- PERHAPS THE HARDEST HIT SECTOR OF OUR\nENTIRE ECONOMY -- NEW STARTS ARE UP 22 PERCENT OVER LAST\nAUGUST, AND 64 PERCENT OVER THE BEGINNING OF 1975.\nWHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?\n-6-\nWE HAVE COME THIS FAR, NOT THROUGH THE MAGIC OF A\nBIG FEDERAL GOVERNMENT \"SAVE\", BUT THROUGH STRONG, PRAGMATIC,\nAND CONSISTENT ECONOMIC POLICIES,\nAND OUR PROSPECTS FOR CONTINUED GROWTH AND PROGRESS\nDEPEND ON MAINTAINING THAT STEADY COURSE,\nWHAT WORRIES ME ARE THE REPEATED CALLS FOR MORE\nGOVERNMENT SPENDING PROGRAMS,\nIF WE ARE PERSUADED BY THE PROPOSALS THAT WOULD ADD\n$100 TO $200 BILLION TO A BUDGET THAT IS ALREADY PRODUCING\nA DEFICIT OF OVER $50 BILLION, THEN WE MUST CONCLUDE THAT\nTHE \"MAGIC\" OF THE FEDERAL PURSE HAS MORE PULLING POWER\nTHAN OUR GREAT FREE ENTERPRISE SYSTEM,\nTHE UNVARNISHED EVIDENCE IS THAT THESE BIG SPENDING\nPROGRAMS THWART NEEDED BUSINESS EXPANSION BY DRIVING UP\nCOSTS OF DOING BUSINESS,\nTHAT HURTS THE VERY PEOPLE SUCH PROGRAMS WERE SUPPOSED\nTO HELP -- WITH GREATER EXPENSES, EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTION,\nLAY-OFFS AND STILL ANOTHER ROUND OF UNEMPLOYMENT CHECKS,\n-7-\nIN THE HOUSING AREA I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE\nCALLS FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO SUBSIDIZE THE BUILDING\nOF 2-1/2 MILLION HOUSING UNITS A YEAR,\nTHE FACT IS THAT THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE SUFFERED IN\nHOUSING OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS WERE CAUSED IN LARGE\nMEASURE BY THAT VERY PHILOSOPHY WHICH WAS MANDATED BY\nTHE HOUSING AcT OF 1968.\nFOR PURSUANT TO THAT AcT, THIS NATION SUBSIDIZED,\nANNUALLY, MORE THAN 2 MILLION HOUSING STARTS FOR THREE\nYEARS RUNNING -- AND GENERATED A BURST OF HOUSING OVER-\nPRODUCTION THAT WE ARE JUST NOW WORKING OFF,\nIN THE COURSE OF THIS PRODUCTION EXPLOSION OUR\nNATION ABANDONED THOUSANDS OF SOUND, WELL-DESIGNED HOMES\nIN OUR CITIES AND UNDER-UTILIZED ROADS, UTILITIES, AND\nSEWAGE SYSTEMS ALREADY IN PLACE THERE, AS BUYERS HEEDED\nTHE PIED PIPER CALL OF \"NEW IS BETTER\". NEIGHBORHOODS\nALL ACROSS THIS NATION WERE BLIGHTED WITH ROW UPON ROW\nOF BOARDED-UP HOUSES LEFT TO DECAY, THE MOST FREQUENTLY\nCITED SYMPTOM OF THE ILLNESS IN OUR CITIES.\n-8-\nBUT IT WAS NOT ONLY OUR CITIES THAT SUFFERED -- OUR\nHOUSING INDUSTRY -- MANAGEMENT AND LABOR -- WAS INCAPACITATED.\nBECAUSE AN ARTIFICIALLY PRODUCED \"BOOM\" CANNOT CONTINUE\nFOREVER, THE NEXT PERIOD, WHICH HIT US ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO,\nWAS ONE OF EXAGGERATED CONTRACTION TO ENABLE US TO WORK OFF\nEXCESSIVE INVENTORIES WITH THE RESULTING LAY-OFFS IN THE\nCONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.\nOUR POLICIES OVER THE PAST 18 MONTHS HAVE TRIED TO\nACCOMMODATE THE LOGICAL CALL FOR REASONABLE LEVELS OF STARTS\nWHILE AVOIDING THE DISASTEROUS CYCLES OF ALL OR NOTHING THAT\nHAVE CHARACTERIZED THE HOUSING CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.\nTHESE POLICIES HAVE WORKED, EVEN IF WE FAIL TO BUILD\nANOTHER HOUSE IN 1976, THIS YEAR -- WILL BE THE FOURTH\nBEST YEAR ON RECORD FOR NEW FAMILY STARTS, AND MULTI-\nFAMILY STARTS, ALTHOUGH NOT so QUICK TO RECOVER, JUMPED\n48 PERCENT LAST MONTH WITH A SUBSTANTIAL JUMP IN PERMITS\nso THAT WE HAVE EVERY REASON TO BE CONFIDENT OF THEIR\nCONTINUED GAIN.\n-9-\nRATHER THAN RE-CREATE MASSIVE SUBSIDY PROGRAMS WHICH\nTOO OFTEN FORCE TAXPAYERS TO SUBSIDIZE THEIR ECONOMIC\nPEERS, HUD HAS SUPPORTED THREE INITIATIVES TO EXPAND THE\nOPPORTUNITIES FOR HOMEOWNERSHIP,\nTHE FIRST IS TO LOWER DOWNPAYMENTS FOR THOSE WHO BUY\nHOMES WITH FHA INSURANCE, FOR THE TYPICALLY-PRICED NEW\nHOME, THE INITIATIVE WILL CUT THE DOWNPAYMENT IN HALF,\nTHUS HELPING FAMILIES -- PARTICULARLY YOUNG FAMILIES WHO\nARE BUYING THEIR FIRST HOMES -- TO GAIN THE PRACTICAL AND\nPERSONAL BENEFITS OF HOMEOWNERSHIP.\nTHE SECOND IS TO EXPAND FHA MORTGAGE LIMITS TO COVER\nABOUT 87 PERCENT OF SALES,\nAND THE THIRD IS TO PROVIDE A FEDERAL GUARANTEE OF\nA GRADUATED PAYMENT MORTGAGE, WHICH ALLOWS YOUNG FAMILIES\nTO REDUCE THEIR MONTHLY PAYMENTS IN THE EARLY YEARS WHEN\nTHEIR INCOMES ARE LIKELY TO BE LOWER. THE PAYMENTS INCREASE\nMODERATELY IN LATER YEARS WHEN THEIR INCOMES ARE EXPECTED\nTO RISE,\n-10-\nIN THE 1930's AND 40's THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT\nREVOLUTIONIZED HOME PURCHASING BY INTRODUCING THE 30-YEAR\nFULLY-AMORTIZED LOAN WITH A 10 TO 20 PERCENT DOWNPAYMENT.\nYou MAY RECALL THAT IN 1930, THE TRADITIONAL MORTGAGE\nWAS FOR 5-YEARS WITH A 50 PERCENT DOWNPAYMENT.\nWE CAN CHANGE THE MARKET IN A SIMILAR WAY IN THE\n1970's. THESE PROPOSALS ARE NOT BASED ON SUBSIDIES PAID\nFOR WITH TAX DOLLARS -- THEY ARE INNOVATIVE METHODS FOR\nHELPING FAMILIES TO PAY FOR THEIR OWN HOMES.\nBUT NO AMOUNT OF INNOVATION WILL WORK IF AMERICANS\nDO NOT HAVE THE SPENDABLE INCOME TO MAKE THE DOWNPAYMENT\nAND TO PAY THE MORTGAGE, UTILITIES AND MAINTENANCE.\nTHE WOMAN WHO HEADS A HOUSEHOLD DOESN'T HAVE TO BE\nTOLD WHAT INFLATION DOES TO HER SALARY, THE WORKING\nSINGLE WOMAN KNOWS WHAT HER SLIM PAY CHECK WILL LOOK LIKE\nIF TAXES ARE HIKED.\nLAW, OR NO LAW, WHAT WOMEN HAVE TO CONTEND WITH IN\nBUYING OR RENTING A HOME IS THE \"BOTTOM LINE\" -- KNOWN\nIN FINANCIAL CIRCLES AS \"MONEY\".\n-11-\nWE'VE COME A LONG WAY, AND WE CONTINUE TO PROVE THAT\nWE ARE EXCELLENT HOUSING RISKS,\nIN THE LAST TEN YEARS PARTICIPATION BY WOMEN IN THE\nNATION'S LABOR FORCE HAS INCREASED MARKEDLY -- 14 PERCENT\nIN THE 20-34 YEAR-OLD BRACKET, AND 9 PERCENT IN THE 35-44\nYEAR GROUP.\nIN 1974, WOMEN ADDED OVER ONE MILLION WORKERS TO THE\nLABOR FORCE -- THUS SHOWING CONTINUED EXPANSION OF EMPLOYMENT\nOPPORTUNITY EVEN IN A POOR ECONOMIC YEAR,\nMEANWHILE, THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT\nAcT OF 1974 -- WHICH WE ADMINISTER AT HUD -- AMENDED\nTITLE VIII OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS AcT OF 1968 TO PROHIBIT\nSEX DISCRIMINATION IN THE SALE OR RENTAL OF HOUSING.\nIN ADDITION TO PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATORY FINANCING,\nADVERTISING AND BLOCKBUSTING, THE AMENDMENT ALSO DIRECTS\nHUD TO CONDUCT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PROGRAMS TO FURTHER THE\nTITLE'S PURPOSE, THIS MAKES HUD THE LEADING ADVOCATE OF\nFAIR HOUSING IN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH.\n-12-\nTo CARRY OUT THIS ROLE, WE ARE SEEKING STRONGER\nENFORCEMENT POWERS, AFTER STUDYING THE PROBLEM, WE HAVE\nCONCLUDED THAT HUD -- RATHER THAN BEING LIMITED TO\nCONCILIATION AND PERSUASION -- SHOULD BE EMPOWERED TO\nBRING A CIVIL ACTION, WHICH WE THINK WOULD MAKE PERSUASION\nA LOT MORE PERSUASIVE.\nTo PARAPHRASE FROM TEDDY ROOSEVELT: IT IS ALWAYS\nEASIER TO TALK MORE SOFTLY IF YOU ARE CARRYING A BIG\nSTICK. IN FACT, WHEN YOU ARE CARRYING THAT STICK, YOU\nSOMETIMES DON'T EVEN HAVE TO TALK,\nBUT REASONED TALK HAS ITS PLACE,\nSo, TWO YEARS AGO (JUNE, 1974), HUD CONTRACTED WITH\nA PRIVATE ACTUARIAL FIRM (KETRON, INC.) TO DEVELOP TABLES\nON THE RELATIVE INCOME STABILITY OF WOMEN AS BORROWERS\nOR CO-BORROWERS DURING THE CRITICAL RISK YEARS OF A\nMORTGAGE,\nWE RELEASED THE FINDINGS LAST MARCH IN A REPORT\nENTITLED \"WOMEN IN THE MORTGAGE MARKET\", WHICH CONCLUSIVELY\nSUPPORTS THE ECONOMICS OF MAKING LOANS TO WOMEN,\n-13-\nPROJECTED INCOMES FOR WOMEN RUN WELL ABOVE MORTGAGE\nBANKER ESTIMATES.\nTHE FINDINGS PUT TO REST THE OLDEST OF MYTHS ABOUT\nWOMEN'S UNSTABLE INCOMES. FOR THE FACT IS THE CREDIT\nWORTHINESS OF WOMEN HAS STATISTICALLY PROVEN TO BE NEARLY\nON A PAR WITH MEN OF COMPARABLE INCOMES,\nTHUS, WE HAVE THE AMMUNITION NEEDED TO CONSOLIDATE\nTHE LEGAL GAINS OF WOMEN IN THE PRACTICAL ARENA OF THE\nHOUSING MARKETPLACE,\nCERTAINLY, ALL OF US KNOW THAT WE STILL HAVE A DISTANCE\nTO TRAVEL TO REACH ECONOMIC EQUALITY,\nBUT, I SUGGEST THAT AS WE CONSOLIDATE OUR GAINS -- BOTH\nTHROUGH THE LAWS OF OUR LAND AND THE ECONOMIC REALITIES OF\nOUR GROWING EARNING POWER -- WE MUST BECOME EVER MORE INVOLVED\nIN THE REALITIES OF THE GENERAL ECONOMY,\n-14-\nMy GOOD FRIEND, BILL COLEMAN (SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION)\nTOLD A GROUP AT A RECENT NAACP CONFERENCE THAT HE WANTED NO\nPART OF ANY MOVEMENT THAT WOULD CHANGE THE AMERICAN SYSTEM.\nAs HE SAID: \"ALL OF US HAVE WORKED TOO HARD TO GET INTO THE\nSYSTEM, AND WE SHOULD MAKE DARNED SURE NOBODY GOES AND CHANGES\nIT ON us.\"\nI SAY: WOMEN HAVE WORKED TOO HARD TO GET INTO THE\nMAINSTREAM OF AMERICAN ECONOMIC LIFE, AND WE HAVE TO MAKE\n(DARNED) SURE THAT NOBODY DIVERTS THAT STREAM. THAT MEANS:\nWE NEED TO WORK WITH OUR PRIVATE ENTERPRISE SYSTEM,\nTHANK YOU."
}