Evening star., 1937-12-30
COURTS
PROBLEM STUDIED
BY AUTHORITIES
Independent or District
Management Is Debated
Question.
MATTER IS PRESSING
AS COMPLETION NEARS
straus Sends Report on Bond Is.
sues to White House for
Consideration.

Langston Courts, the $4,000, 900 low
rent housing development that Is near
ing completion on Benning road NE,
was represented today as another
knotty local problem for the United
States Housing Authority.
The fact that this colored housing
project is expected to be ready for
occupancy in February makes it neces-
sary, 1t was said, to determine soon
how 1t shall be operated under the
new set-up. 1t is the only project of
its kind undertaken here by the former
Housing Division of the Public Works
Administration, which recently was
absorbed by the new Federal agency.
Administrator Nathan Straus Is in
augurating a policy Of leasing the 81
P. w. Adult housing projects
throughout the country to the local
housing authorities that are being set
up under the Wagner-Steagall Act.
The question affecting Langston
Courts is whether it shall be leased
to the District Alley Dwelling Au-
thority or administered independently.
StT6uS 10 wake lnSpcCtlOn.
Some of the same problems in
volving the Alley Dwelling Authority.
which is Federal and not a local
agency, enter into the picture with
respect to Washington's sole P. w. A.
built housing development.
Mr.. Straus, it was learned today. in
tends to make "a personal inspection
at Langston Courts next week Since
the Wagner Act placed all these for
mer P. w. A. projects under his super
vision, he desires to make close
study of what actually has been ac-
complished. Langston Courts in this
respect provides convenien: study.
The question Of administration Of
this local housing project must be set
tied soon, because the time is ap-
preaching when rents must be flxed
and tenants selected. of whom there
already is long waiting list.
Forwards Legal Report.
| At the same time Mr.. Straus said
he has forwarded to the White House
a report on the legal problems involv-
ing the right of the Alley Dwelling
Authority to share in bonds issued
under the Government new housing
program.
The memorandum, he said. is in
the hands of James Roosevelt, the
| Presidents son. and one of his secre-
taries. For this reason, he said he
did not care to discuss the conclusions
reached in the report.
Earlier indications pointed to the
fact that there is sufficient author
ity under the Wagner Act to permit
the A. D. A. to participate in the
s500,000000 bond issue. As soon as
there is an agreement on the source
Of financing the local housing pro-
gram, President Roosevelt Is ready
to make approximately $4,000 i'm
mediately available.
Makes Appeal to States.
Mr.. Straus issued an urgent appeal
today to all States which have not
set up housing acts to consider such
laws at the earliest possible moment.
Only 80 States have passed such
enabling acts which would permit
bIlSIu W pol ItlClpdtt LII Gllc pfUeI dIn.
This means that 18 States have no
housing laws under which local hous-
ing authorities may be set up. In
only two of these States, Virginia and
Mississippi, regular sessions of the
Legislature will convene in January.
Maryland Is one of the 80 States
which has acted. Mr.. Straus said the
laws in five of these States are un-
satisfactory and some others do not
provide for tax exemption or other
means of meeting requirements for
? annual contributions by local COM
munities.
Although the Federal Housing Au-
thority has earmarked $135, ,0O0, 900 for
81 local authorities, Mr. Straus re-
minded that only IA Of these have re-
ceived cash appropriations from city
governments.
The housing administrator issued
his appeal under pressure from Con-
gress and hundreds Of cities which are
getting anxious about the apparent
slowness with which the program Is
being carried out.