Evening star., 1936-01-14
BUILDERS WARNED
ON ALLEY HOMES
Government Hits Private
Enterprise for Failure to
Provide Cheap Dwellings.

Private enterprise is scolded for not
reclaiming District alleys and falling
TO provide better low-rental housing
and is threatened with Government
competition in a report Of the District
Alley Dwelling Authority transmitted
to Congress yesterday by President
Roosevelt.
Unless private enterprise "mate-
rally" increases the number of low
rental dwellings, the Authority will
seek amendment Of the alley dwelling
act permitting it to construct mex
pensive housing units on cheap sites,
John Ihlder, executive off1cer OF the
Authority, said. Amendment would be
necessary, because the present act does
not allow the Authority to use "out-
living" sites, within the boundaries OF
the District, but outside the "old"
city. i
The report covered the activities OF
the Alley Authority since it began
work November 10, 1884. It Is prin-
cipally q review of accomplishments
and contains no specific recommends
tionS.
"Experience during the first year OF
operation has, of course, disclosed tnat
some provisions of the act might well
be amended to assure greater EN-
ciency," Ihlder said. "The period OF
operation, however, has been so short
that the Authority believes no amend
ments should be requestd at this ses-
sion of Congress. The experience OF
second year will give broader paSlS
for its recommendations"
Commenting further on the alleged
detection of private industry IN help
ing the Government to rid the Ma
tion's Capital of inhabited alleys
Ihlder said there has been no re-
sponse" to the authority's appeal TO
nriyate enterprise either to reclaim
alley squares or to provide low rental
housing.
1.-THE authority has called attention
70 the fact that there are inhabited
alleys in every quarter OF the city
which, because of the size OF its ap-
propriation, the authority cannot deal
with this year or next. Private en-
tesprise Is perfectly free to reclaim
these squares. There has been no re-
sponse."
All the authority's original appro-
priation OF $500,000 has been allo-
Gated, Ihlder reported.
The authority has acquired all prop
erty requisite to alley clearance IN
five squares containing seven Inhabited
alleys and all property, except one
parcel each, in two other squares, the
report said. In another square. part
of the requisite property has been &C
quired.
Other Accomplishments.
Other accomplishments include:
Options on required properties IN six
squares containing seven inhabited
alleys; Inauguration Of condemnation
proceedings in one Of these; clearance
of all acquired property in four squares
which formerly contained six inhabited
alleys; award of contracts for re-
development of three squares; compile
ton OF preparation for the advertise
ment of bids for the redevelopment Of
another square.
These operations include IA squares
containing II inhabited alleys, 1hlder
reported.
One of the authority's most serious
handicaps, the report said, has been
the difdculty of finding new and
profitable uses for the reclaimed areas.
"The intent of the authority" Con-
gress was informed, "is to redevelop
squares in accordance with the needs
Of their neighborhoods.
About half of the families dis
possessed in the authority's reclama-
ton program were able to locate new
quarters on their own initiative. The
rest were given assistance of one kind
or another.