Evening star., 1938-11-30
Loan. Of Million
May Raise Sum
For Alley Work
Congress Oversight
Keeps Fund
From D. 6.
BY NELSON M. SHEPARD.

WILL tIlc 0lSIIlCG cUlDdTkllS Oh
the largest slum reclamation and
rehousing program in its history,
assurances were given today that
the incoming Congress would be
asked to correct an oversight of last
June by making an additional
81 ,000,0 900 available to the Alley
Dwelling Authority.
At the request of President Roose-
welt. who is personally interested in
promoting the local housing pro-
gram, the last Congress authorized
the A. D. A. to borrow $l,0O0,0O0
annually from the Treasury for the
next five years. In the confusion
Of the closing days of the session
the money never was actually ap-
proprieted.
The addition of these annual bor-
rowings to the SIS, 900 900 earmarked
for the District by the United States
Housing Authority would put s20.-
100000 in the A. D. AS war chest
for slum eradication during the next
five years. With the chances appar-
emily favorable that Congress will
add more millions next year to the
loan fund of the U. S. H. A., the
door no doubt would be open to ad-
ditional borrowings for continued
eradication of the Districts slums.
Alley Clearance Work.
The special fund which the A. D.
A. hopes to get from Congress was
authorized to make it independent
of any other authority in continu-
ing its own separate program of al
ley reclamation and economically
sound housing. The alley clearance
can be made to harmonic with the
new program about to be launched.
for the law requires that there shall
be eliminated unsafe and insanitary
dwelling units at least equal to the
number of new dwellings to be
erected.
The s7,336, 900 for four housing
projects approved yesterday, will
place at the disposal of the A. D. A.
about eight times over the amount
it has been allowed to spend in four
years of single-handed warning on
the alleys. John Ihlder, its execu-
tive officer, said the agency is "tre-
mendously gratifled" over the con-
tract and accepts the challenge of
the somewhat exacting conditions
imposed upon it.
In this connection the Alley Dwell
ing Authority said in statement
today that it will be seriously ham
dicapped in dealing with "the worst
and most overcrowded slums' by
limitation that the average cost OF
any site it may acquire shall not
exceed SIS per square foot.
One Site Eliminated.
In explaining the effects of the
cost limitation on acquisition of
land the A. D. A. said:
In fact. since the agreement was
reached appraisals by the U. S. H. A.
have caused that agency to eliminate
only Temporarily, we hope-the site
which most requires reclamation.
So the immediate program has been
reduced from five sites to four.
Meantime we are seeking other slum
sites that, while not such great COM
munity liabilities, may be secured
within the price limit
To build good houses renting at
a "high-cost city, like Washington,
as is contemplated also. is admitted
ly hard job, even with the aid of
a substantial Federal subsidy. For
this reason the application OF sub
sides in reducing rents no doubt
will be the phase of the program
most closely followed.
The annual cash contributions
made by the U. S. H. A. and the
Districts contributions in the form
of tax exemption will be applied by
Mr.. Ihlder to reducing rentals in ac-
cordance with family needs. 1t will
require the careful working out of
sliding scale based upon individual
ability to pay, but in no case will
tenants be acceptable whose incomes
exceed $1,l00 annually.
Some to Pay More.
Tenants with incomes near the
maximum allowed, under the pro-
posed plan. would pay considerably
more rent than those in the lowest
income brackets. 1t is even possible,
Mr.. Ihlder believes, to include some
tenants who are on public relief.
This plan of applying the subsidy
is the only feature of the local pro-
gram differing from the usual policy
of the U. S. H. A. In all other cities
that have signed housing contracts.
the subsidies are blanketed evenly
over a project. reducing the rents
uniformly for all the tenants.
The idea of some of Washington
low-income families that the con-
struction of 1887 dwelling units is
to start Immediately was dispelled
by officials. Two of the sites, how
ever, in outlying districts on which
development can proceed quicker
than in the two congested slum
areas
In no case is actual construction
likely to start much before the end
of winter unless it be in connection
with the site already owned by the
Government in the Benning area.
Architectural plans must be drawn
up, most of the land on the other
sites remains to be acquired and con-
tracts must be let before the dirt
can fly. All that takes time.
Four architects are engaged, one
on each project. When they were
engaged last July the A. D. A., al
most broke" had no money to pay
the additional salaries. They gam
bled" on the chance that the U. S.
H. A. would approve the loan con-
tract and have won. Now that the
$500, 900, representing 80 per cent
of the cost Of the developments, is
to be turned over shortly, they win
draw checks for back pay.
In submitting its application for q
loan, the A. d. A. presented only
preliminary architectural plans
showing what uses could and should
be made of the sites. The real work
Of preparing building plans Is just
now beginning.