Evening star., 1938-06-02
BALTIMORE SET
To CLEAR S[UMS
AS CAPITAL LAGS
Borrowing Status Lacking
Here Until President
Signs Bill.
NEIGHBoR TO RECEIVE
BIG SLICE OF S6O,00O,OO0
D. c. Alley Dwelling Authority
Is Ready to Start When
Co Signal Is Given.

Washington will be tagging far
behind the neighboring city of Balti-
more after tomorrow in the matter
of serious work of slum demolition on
a city-wide scale.
Prepared to launch low-rent
housing program for which $40, 900 900
of United States Housing Authority
funds have been earmarked, the Bal
timore Housing Authority will get
big slice of $6o,OO0,oO0 in housing
contracts which Administrator Nathan
Straus intends to announce tomorrow
for eight large cities. President Roose-
velt has only to sign them.
Meanwhile. the only thing that
stands in the way of the District Of
Columbia in initiating a general slum
clearance and low-rent housing pro-
gram is final enactment of a bill giving
the District Alley Dwelling Authority
the same borrowing status under the
United States Housing Act that other
local authorities enjoy. Between $10,-
100000 and $l5,000,o00 is the Dis
tricts for the formal asking, as soon
as Mr.. Roosevelt attaches his signature
to the King g-Palmisano slum clearance
bill. The bill requires only House con.
currence in technicality.
nefoiIS Ara V,oL;,,~
While details of the first Baltimore
contract were not known in advance,
it is understood the city is prepared
to attack the slum problem at once
along broad front. Four or five sites
have been chosen. some of them in
the worst Negro and white slum areas
in the city. The local authority, it
was said, is merely awaiting the off,
cial go" signal from Washington.
Mayor Jackson of Baltimore got
behind the slum clearance program
at the outset and has made it an issue
In MS campaign for the gubernatorial
nomination. Baltimore was one of
the first cities in the country to apply
for United States Housing Authority
FUNDS. More than a month ago the
local authority had made up its mind
where it intends to tear down slum
areas and rehouse families whose
present housing accommodations are
regarded as unsafe and unsanitary
within the meaning of the Federal law.
Will Attack Problem.
The District Alley Dwelling Author
1ty. however, will be prepared soon
to launch an energetic attack on this
clty's inhabited alleys and slum areas.
Limited to an expenditure of consid-
erably less than 81 ,000, 900 during the
past three years, the A. D. A. will be
in position to receive Federal aid
to the amount of sl,000,00o annually
from the United States Treasury to
continue its existing program Of con-
structing economic, self-liouidatinp
housing units.
But that is the least of the program
cut out for it. Once empowered to
borrow funds from the United States
Housing Authority, the local A. D. A.
Will have millions at its disposal to
rehouse slum dwellers in accordance
with the conditions laid down in the
Federal act. Its first big problem.
however, will be the acquisition of
sites and this may require lengthy
negotiations unless purchased outright
In outlying sections OF the District.
The present staff of the A. D, A..
equipped to handle only a small-scale
program, no doubt will have to be
augmented by additional architects
and clerks.
The United States Housing Author
lty cannot initiate local programs.
That is a matter left to the local
authorities.