Evening star., 1933-12-05
Securing of Federal Funds to
Better Housing Conditions
Here Hoped For.
REASONABLE STANDARDS
ARE SOUGHT BY DELANO
$40, ,000,0 Held No Cure to ALL
ment, but Amelioration of
Situation.

A report on the suggested improve
ment Of two or three areas of alley
dwellings and blighted sections of the
city was expected to go forward today
to the Public Works Administration.
with view to securing Federal funds
to better housing conditions here, as
demonstration projects.
Frederic A. Delano, chairman Of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission. and head of the special
advisory group on housing. speaking
entirely as private citizen, said he be-
lieved that there should be some pro-
vision in law. under which old prop
critics would have to be maintained at
a certain reasonable standard
Speaks as Private Citizen.
Speaking entirely as a private citi-
zen.' said Mr.. Delano. the more I
study this housing problem the more
DO l become convinced that even if we
had s5,0Oo;000 or 100000 it would
not cure the ailment. Putting such a
sum into housing betterment would
ameliorate the situation, however.
Two things, it seems to me- should
be done The law provides that when
fone erects a new building, he has to
come up to certain standards, in that
the structure must be freproof. struc-
turally safe and sanitary. There is a
minimum law for every new building.
There IS apparently no adequate con-
lroI OF Ola buildings, They can be FIRE
traps. insanitary and unsafe.
When you have such a disparity be-
tween the minimum regulations of a
new building and the existing situation
on on buildings, you put a premium
on maintaining buildings. which are
inadequate insanitary and unsafe
We had DR.. tWilliam c. Fowler
tDlstr1ct health officer. before our COM
mission and ne said he has nothing 10
90 with the physical safety of a build
ing. only the sanitary aspects -Four
years ago, the authorities condemned
a building as unfit for human habita.
ton 1t was torn down The owner
haled the officials into court ana the
D''s'' W. mao 70 pay something llke
$1,000 to the owner.
Nothing Held Accomplished.
since then, nothing apparently has
oeen done and nothing Accomplished
70 change the law. There has apnar-
entity been no more condemnlnp of
properties, because of the court decision
rms situation was brought to the at
tentlon of the members of our commits.
SION Ior the first time by DIR. Fowler.
eouio get photographs of build
lngs that are out of plumb and ready
to fall down, but these would not show
the terrible sanitary conditions.
The reason for not tearing dou,,,
the old structures on the landlords is
lnat tneSe are bad times and an in
sanitary building rents more easily. be-
cause 1t IS low in price. What is the
duty of the city?
III seems to me-" continued Mr.. De-
Ianot the solution is to make a law
~ilch VIII oe reasonable and have en-
lorcement that is effective"
Mr.. Delano said that he was informed
tnas law. designed to improve condi-
lions relating to old buildings. was
drafted by Corporation Counsel William
W Bride, but lay on the Commits
sloners desks for years without action,
II three or four buildings in a row
are IN bad shape. it hurts the neigh
oorhood, asserted the Planning Com
mission chairman. If the three or
lour could be torn down, it would tone
up the place and the owner could afford
which are not below a certain Standard.
The Government might be willing TO
lend TO owners on these properties
sum sufhcient to improve them"
Inc Delano committees report was
scheduled to be laid before Robert D.
kohn. head of the housing division Of
the Public Works Administration. Mr..
Deiano said that the report would not
De mace public at this time, because
II enta1led land purchasing Should
s,De, tne Government announce it wants to
puy land in a certain area the owners
would Immediately expect fancy prices
1or 1t, Mr.. Delano indicated, so that.
naturally, the report will not be made
public
Inc report will likely suggest three
major improvement areas, sufficiently
large to make demonstration. together
with number of minor proposals.