Evening star., 1938-01-16

"AAoSssaoAA VI sumo OF Lne FUNDS OF the
newly created United States Housing
Authority to speed the slum clearance
program In the alleys Of the Capital.
Turning from the alley problem to
discussion Of housing generally, the
kansan said another need Is for the
District to overhaul its laws and
regulations touching on sanitation.
building construction and soning."
Work Of Authority.
Leading up to his suggestion for
amending the alley dwelling law,
Senator Capper said:
I'm Washington. the Alley Dwelling
Authority has undertaken to house
the very poorest families. But the
Authority at present is limited to ac-
tivities in squares which contain in.
hasited alleys. Practically all Of
these squares are In the older, con.
gested section Of the District. A large
number Of them are in commercial
and industrial neighborhoods, where
it would be waste Of money to build
houses Of any kind.
In those cases, the Authority would
develop projects harmonizing with the
neighborhood. But in the alleys
within residential neighborhoods, the
Authority Is also handicapped. II It
wished to build housing project, It
would in most cases be stopped by the
necessarily high cost Of buying the
slum buildings and the land on which
they stand Its housing work, in the
face of these obstacles, seems remark.
able to me.
Kind Of Land Needed.
ut is obvious that the Authority
must get cheap, vacant land II it
wishes to build as many low-rent
houses as it demolishes. I will be
glad to support amendments to the
Alley Dwelling Act. which I sponsored
in the Senate, If this can be accom-
plished. I think the Authority has
demonstrated its ability to do the job
given it by Congress, and think it
ought to be made . full-nedged
housing authority for the District"
The work of the Alley Dwelling
Authority in getting rid Of existing
slums must be supplemented, the Sem
ator said, by the regulatory agencies
Of the District government performing
their duty Of slum prevention.
Let no one imagine that the slums
Of Washington are gone, or nearly so,"
he continued. There remain about
176 inhabited alleys and there are
many whole blocks Of houses in bad
condition besides those infected BY
alley communities. There are thou
sands of houses in Washington which
do not meet any modern standards Of
sanitation
Quotes Message to CsngrssA
After quoting from former President
Theodore Rooeevelt's message to Oon-
gress in 1908. recommending de-
partment Of housing and labor In the
District government, Mr. Capper OBJ
served:
II know Of no better time than the
present to revive this susgestion-to
give housing regulation its proper
place in the District government. The
present laws, regulations and proceed.
ure are 20 ineffective that unscrupu-
lous slum landlords have no difficulty
in finding loopholes that permit them
to continue their operations. There Is
no more reason why man should be
allowed to offer for rent an insanitary
house than that he should be per-
mitted to sell spoiled or tainted food"
The Kansan said he Is "willing to
go pretty far in fighting the rent traf-
nc in slum houses and I believe the
courts will be inclined to place . lib
eral Interpretation on laws to control
and regulate housing practicss."
Adequate building. sanitation and
coming codes are problems Of reg,lla-
ton that cannot be administered by
. housing authority whose work lies
in correcting the city's past mistakes"
the Senator added.
Says Public support b Needed.
Senator Capper said he bslieves
Congress will be sympatheic to pub
lie demands for the kind Of housing
program he outlined, but only II the
public of Washington shows that it
wants such . program"
The Senator said the housing situa-
ton in Washington today presents .
happier picture and . greater promise
than 1t has for many years past"
due to . variety Of reasons. Among
the reasons he gave were . realisation
by private builders that they must
turn from high-cost dwellings to
houses for those with modest In
comes, and the success Of hrgs-scals
housing developments, constructed
with private capital and Federal
Housing Administration mortgage in
surance. Private initiative Is going
to build most Of the new dwellings
here and elsewhere, he said, with the
Government providing projects for
tlDss groups not provided for by pei.
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