Evening star., 1939-04-08
BY NELSON M. SHEPARD.

Plans for initiating three more
slum clearance projects in Wash
ington to rehouse 912 colored fami-
lies in modern low-rent dwellings
were announced today by the Alley
Dwelling Authority.
John Ihlder. executive officer, said
he had applied to the United States
Housing Authority for a second
loan of s5,631 900 to finance the
development of the three sites, all
OF which are in areas now occupied
by colored families. They are in
the Southwest, the Southeast and
the Northwest sections of the city.
The U. S H. A. loan would defray
80 per cent of the cost OF the de.
velopment, the local authority be.
ing obliged to put up the remain.
ing 10 per cent with the co-opera.
ton of the District Government.
The A. D. A. already has borrowed
S6600,000 from the Federal agency
for four low-rent housing projects,
two of which provide for slum clear.
ance in the Southeast and South
west. The other two are in the
Bennlng area and on Alabama Aves
nue. Sc. on sites that are undevel.
oped. Since the u S. H. A. had
earmarked sl5.000000 in all tor
the housing program in the Dis
trict, balance Of s2,77o,O0O will
be left on which the local author.
ity may draw for future projects.
Today's application broadens the
scope of the District program by
providing for rehousing a total Of
2,l69 families. Only two of the
seven projects now included are
for white families.
Funds Not Excessive.
Contrary to general belief in many
congressional circles, the Federal
funds earmarked for housing in the
District by the U. S. H. A. are not
excessive They compare. for ex.
ample. with s15011 900 in Atlanta;
s25 .3l1 900 in New Orleans and $16.-
$4,000 in Pittsburgh. Baltimore,
which is considerably larger than
Washington. will be given s2l .59l 900
in loans, and New York City leads
the country with s40,630,000.
Mr.. Ihlder was governed by two
rigid Federal requirements in se-
lecting the sites. The first provides
that dwellings must be eliminated
equal in number to those erected.
The other requirement places
limit of ST so per square foot on land
purchases.
AS result. Mr.. Ihlder announced,
on two of the sites to be acquired,
it will be impossible to do anything
like complete clearance and redevel-
opment. The A. D. A. believes. how
ever, that this "spotty" development
will be compensated for by reduced
cost and by avoidance of displacing
more families than is absolutely
necessary.
The A. D. A. executive was un-
able to set date when actual build
ing operations will start on any one
of the four sites for which loans
already have been contracted. The
contracts were signed December I3,
last. Considerable changes in the
plans have been necessitated, espe-
cially in the two outlying areas
where new roadways and utilities
have to be provided by the District.
To Do Work Gradually.
To avoid hardships due to dis
| placement of families, Mr.. Ihlder
said he proposes to carry out opera.
tions gradually in connection with
the sites within the crowded sections
of the city. Only a part of each site
will be cleared at a time. In this
way he believes the number Of
dwellings available for occupancy
will be kept at maximum.
The period between demolition and
rehousing a long one-is q
hard one on the families displaced.
They must seek temporary shelter
elsewhere. Nor do all the families
displaced seek to become tenants Of
the new public housing to be erected.
Rents for the 9l2 dwellings plan.
ned for the three new projects will
average 81 per room per month, the
same as planned for others. The
majority of the units will be two
story row dwellings containing four
roops and bath. There will be q
number of flats, however, containing
two to four rooms each.
The U. S. H. A., which has been
anticipating a new loan application
for some time, must first pass on all
the preliminary plans before presi-
| Dental annroval is given.