Evening star., 1932-11-21
A slum Clearance Plan.

The proposal from the Washington
Chapter of the American Institute OF
Architects for creation of District
Housing Board, this board to exercise
regulatory control over limited dividend
corporations engaged in the construc-
tion of low-rent housing, merits the
serious consideration of the bodies be-
fore which 1t has been laid-the Board
of Commissioners and the National
Capital Park and Planning Commis-
sion. The scope of the work proposed
Is large, and there are possible obIee-
tions which at first blush might seem
to mitigate against realization OF any
such radical plan. But the tunoa-
mental idea behind it and the objec-
tive outlined are sound. The source
of the suggestion alone is enough to
warrant serious study.
For more years than it is convenient
60 remember Washington has struggled,
rather unsuccessfully, with an alley
problem that is unique and peculiar 10
Washington alone Here exist no great
slum areas as they are known In
many of the large industrial cities. But
the word "slum" carries meaning that
can appropriately be applied to those
congested and insanitary groups OF
dwellings that are located in so-called
alleys-in reality, narrow and blind
streets found so Unexpectedly in the
middle of residential blocks of an older
washington that knew better days.
Conditions in some of these alleys are
better than they were decade and
half ago, and the deterioration wrought
by time has been able to accomplish
what legislation and good intentions
have failed to achieve. But there
still exists an alley problem in Wash
tngton. One of the objects OF the plan
proposed by the architects Is the elm
ination Of the remaining alley dwellings,
and, together with such "slum clear
ance," the adoption Of a program that
would gradually replace, with modern
dwellings, other areas. not necessarily
IN alleys, Dngnteo py VLne anu Tie
changes Of population.
The money put at the disposal OF the
Reconstruction Finance Corporation for
slum-clearance work - 81 500, 600, 900
has, for the most part, gone begging
because of the absence of the limited
dividend corporations under the regu-
lation Of State Housing Boards. But,
given time, the availability of such
money at low rates of interest should
stimulate everywhere the organization
of corporations that must be guided
more by idealism and a certain altruism
than hope Of gain, subject to regulation
by the State Already the Reconstruc-
tion Finance Corporation has put new
life and significance into the New York
Board of Housing, which recently re-
quested loan from the Corporation for
slum- clearance work in New York City,
destined, according to the plans, to
cost in the neighborhood Of $780,
100000. The New York plan has been
opposed by some real estate interests
IN that city. New York's board. by
the way, is understood to be the only
one In the country meeting the re-
uuirements for obtaining r. F. c. loans.
The bill which the local architects
have proposed to the Commissioners is
modelled generally on the New York
legislation.
The interest of the architects in
Washington's housing problem, prob
lem which, in their communication to
the Commissioners they discuss inter-
eStingly and intelligently, springs orgi-
nally from the plan sponsored ma
tionally by the American Institute Of
Architects to interest States and cities
- slum clearance and low rental dwell
ing construction as form of COM
batting the depression. Robert D.
Kohn, past president of the institute,
recently called attention to the oppor-
tunity-presented by availability of
money at low interest rates-for such
work, which would be boon to the
building trade, a boon to the cities and,
OF course, to future tenants.
If the movement gains headway it is
conceivable that from the ashes Of this
depression new cities may rise, and
that new standards of comfort, cleanli-
ness and beauty will replace the cheap
slovenly novels that mar every city. It
Is possible to entertain such a concep-
ton without fear Of the naturalization
Of the home-building industry.