Evening star., 1935-09-27
.LOW-COST HOUSING
PROJECTS IN D. c.
CUT TO ONE Job
SIum Clearance Financing
SlaShed-Anac0Stia
Tract Retained.
NEW DEAL CHIEFS SET
FOR WAVE OF PROTESTS
Surprise Evinced Over Ickes' Act
in Keeping Market Closed
on East Site.

OuL OF Lne Wreckdge OF MS NatlOn-
vide slum- clearance program, Secre-
tary Ickes has succeeded in salvaging
comletely only one of the three low
cost housing projects originally plan
ned for Washington.
The s8.lOO.OO0 set aside for housing
in the Capital has been cut to ST.
100000. From this amount Secre-
tary Ickes will promote the develop
ment for colored residents ep Bc1ning
road northeast. reserving $60.000 for
the purchase Of a 55-acre tract for
future use in the Anacostia district.
The proposed sluln clearance prof.
ect for colored residents in the vi
cinity of the War College has been
abandoned completely. For weeks this
Inflated project has been entangled
in court proceedings.
New Deal chiefs were all set today
for a wave Of protests from those
communities which lost expected
housing projects as result of orders
from President Roosevelt requiring
two-thirds of the national program
to be thrown overheard The $780,
100000 at his command for low-cost
housing, Ickes announced. will build
only 81 projects throughout the coun-
try. OF this amount, sl,500,00O will
be devoted for administrative and
emergency purposes.
Many Protests Are In.
On the basis of the reduction, many
Senators and Representatives had
hurried to Washington even before the
final list was issued. to protest against
the exclusion Of projects in their dis
tricts In addition to the 81 projects
now to be undertaken, work will be
continued on seven slum- clearance de-
velopments already under construc-
ton.
The virtual collapse OF the Wash
ington program was not unexpected,
as it was foregone conclusion at least
that it would suffer on the same basis
with other sections.
There was some surprise, however,
over Ickes' act in taking of the open
market the 55-acre tract in Anacostia,
originally planned for q $3,500. 900 de-
velopment. The site adjoins a 45-acre
tract acquired by the Hollywood Park
Corp. of Government employees in the
vicinity OF Alabama and Pennsylvania
avenues southeast.
Ickes has no funds available to build
in Southeast Washington and there is
no immediate prospect of funds being
obtained.
Developments have given the Holly
wood corporation a jump on Secretary
Ickes. Whereas his own plans for the
Anacostia project are hamstrung, the
Government employees expect to go
ahead steadily with the Hollywood de-
velopment. They predict that 100
houses of moderate cost will be con-
structed on their site within year.
The Housing Division of P. w. A.
recently obtained an option on its
AnacoStia site, taking the land from
under the eyes Of the Hollywood cor
poration which had thought it held
an option on at least half of the acre
age. They were sold out" however,
by the property owners. AS a result,
the Hollywood corporation was forced
to acquire another site nearby.
Whether Secretary Ickes has &C
tually purchased the 55-acre site in
Anacostia or was merely still holding
an option on it was not cleared up
today by the Housing Division. They
are in the dark themselves as to his
future plans.
Land Held in Reserve.
The land, however, is being held in
reserve in either case until such time
as 1ckes finds the money to start
building. Meanwhile, no one else is
likely to purchase the acreage.
The development on Benning road
is intended to provide 90 three-room
flats, 81 two-room apartments, 43
three-room apartments and 167 four
and five room row houses. The site,
occupying 13 acres of vacant land, is
bounded by the proposed extensions Of
Twenty-fourth, H and I streets.
Ickes has ordered the name Of the
project changed from Kingman to
Langston Terrace.
The project will utilize only aoout
20 per cent of the site for buildings,
the remainder of the land being de-
voted to open areas and recreation
space. 1t faces an extensive colored
community.
Construction work on all the 81
projects salvaged from his Nation
wide program is expected to pegin
before January next.
The 81 projects we're selected, Ickes
said, because of the advanced stages
of their planS