Evening star., 1938-10-06
LABOR DEMANDS
L0W-RENT HOMES
Housing Group Chairman
Calls on A. D. A. to Stop
Playing Politics.

A demand upon the Alley Dwelling
Authority to stop playing politics"
and get down to the business of pro-
d.. viding homes at sufficiently low rent
A ais to care for families earning below
$1,000 a year was made today by
: John johnson, chairman of the WASH
: ington Industrial Union Council Com
= mittee on Housing.
His criticism was directed at the
policy of the A. D. A. in desiring TO
make its housing program for Wash
ington self-sustaining rather than
adhere to the Federal policy of SUBJ
sidized rentals. 1t was the first in
.: dication that organized labor is pre-
pairing to take hand in a contro-
versy that has broken out anew be-
tween the A. D. A. and the United
States Housing Authority over local
policies.
I'VE are not interested in any theo-
= retical differences of opinion between
. the local Authority and the U. S. H.
A" said Mr.. Johnson's statement.
-a I'VE are interested in low-rent hous-
Ing and we can pledge the complete
. support of all organized labor in the
District toward this aim"
A. ID. A. Meets Tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the A. D. A. is pre-
/ pairing to meet tomorrow afternoon to
. determine whether it should alter its
application for S10,614,02l loan to
start its long delayed housing pro-
gram for families of low income. It
, will decide whether to change its re-
quest from a 100 per cent loan to a
. 30 per cent loan with the expectation
that the other 10 per cent, amount
ing to about ST. 600, 900 will come from
> the District government. A 80 per
cent loan would carry with it a plan
of Federal subsidy that would bring
rents down considerably.
After the lapse Of considerable time.
Mr.. johnson stated, I'VE still have no
housing, and, what is more impor-
tant, we find that the local Authority
apparently has no intention of using
the subsidy clause under the Housing
/ Act, which would bring housing to the
, underpaid workers in the District who
3nhabit the filthy and crime breeding
Z slums of our city"
In its four years Of existence, Mr..
. johnson said, the A. D. A. has re-
, housed only 100 families in the face
of tremendous shortage of decent
low-rent housing"
: The statement added: THE non
subsidized alley dwelling projects have
been made available al an average Of
$3.50 per room per month for all five
T1s@ projects. This, in our estimation, does
8 not meet the need for low-rent housing.
: We have large percentage of our
- population who are making less than
= 800 per year and who would require
), housing for $3.50 per room per month.
- Another large group Is earning below
81 900 and would require dwellings
= OF s. per room per month. Without
20 subsidy the rents will be doubled and
- we viii not reach the provisions of
\ the act which extends aid for those in
Z the lowest income group.
y High Incomes Held Illusion.
= let there be no illusion about the
. high incomes paid in Washington. The
. Federal Government itself hires many
s workers at salaries below $700 per
Z year. Incomes below 81 900 are the
- rule rather than the exception. At the
]. sane time, according to survey by
s.the w. P. A. in 1885, of SO cities,
. washington leads all the cities in the
= cost of living, with q figure of 81 400
= for . maintenance level, as against
ss@ an average of $1,000. The item of
= housing in this living cost Is greater
90 % IN Washington than in any other city
= In the country.
- THE problem of housing is as acute
e fer those above 1000 incomes. The
= tremendous expansion of New Deal
!. agencies has almost doubled our
= population. We urge the immediate
= construction of houses within the
& limits of the income of this large
=, group
* * "The Federal Housing Administra-
z tion offers loans at fair interest
= rate, without subsidy, to meet the needs
,sss@of this income group. Such projects
& as Buckingham, Colonial Village and
z falkland are step in this direction.
We believe that the rentals charged
sss In these places are still too high; a
8 more moderate profit for the real estate
e interests can reduce these rentals
= further.
= =; THE A. D. A. function, we believe,
:. Is to stimulate further this type of
3 housing, but it cannot in good faith
- neglect the lowest income groups, who
= present a problem that can only be
s met by subsidy. The local Authority
e - has already publicized the shameful
- crime breeding slums that exist in
:. . the Nations Capital. Homes unfit for
{, human habitation that are a major
- contribution to the excessively high
. crime rate in this city should be wiped
= out.
-. =. 'It is time that the A. d. A. stop
= playing politics and get down to the
u job before it,"
- -s-
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