Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-11-08
100000 Housing
Test Is Proposed
By |hIder
Executive Officer Denies
He Is Charging U. S. H. A.
With Blocking Program

With Blocking Program
Because of differences over plan
ming, new low-rent housing project
was proposed for Washington today
to demonstrate the relative cost and
Inability of dwellings constructed
according to the minimum standards
Of the United States Housing
Authority and dwellings constructed
according to standards that the Alley
Dwelling Authority believes are the
least that should be accepted for
homes designed to last 60 years.
The proposal came unexpectedly
today from John Ihlder, executive
officer of the local housing agency,
who submitted to the U. S. H. A. an
application for a fourth loan of
$2,079,000 with which to carry out
the demonstration plan.
This is an honest and definite
attempt to give a practical test to
differences of opinion" Mr. Ihlder
said. He denied that he was max
ing a charge that the U. S. H. A. was
deliberately blocking Washington's
long-delayed public housing pro-
gram which has been under study
and planning since the spring of
1898.
Special Tract Selected.
Mr.. Ihlder said it was proposed
to develop the proposed project on
a vacant tract of 38 acres, the site
having been inquired into with
view to making the test on "abso-
lutely even terms"
While there have been many cases
involving differences of opinion be-
tween the U. S. H. A. and local
housing agencies over policy in
volving costs and types of construc-
ton, this is believed to be the first
time that a local authority has
proposed public demonstration
to test the opposing theories. Mr..
Ihlder said he had not consulted
U. S. H. A. officials about the sug-
gested demonstration in advance OF
filing the application today.
He said he regarded the plan as
valuable, also, as an object lesson
that has more general applica-
tlon," adding that he did not be-
lieve objection should be raised
since it would be "a cooperative
effort to test out honest differences
of opinion"
The fact that officials of the Fed
eral and District agencies have been
unable to get together on many de-
tails of the Washington housing
program has long been evident.
Some of the points at issue have
been settled. In a press release in
connection with the loan applica-
ton, the A. D. A. went at length
into some of the questions
THE technical men of the two
agencies have not been able to agree
on the probable difference in costs
between plans submitted for COM
ment," it said. This has led to re-
peated conferences, with the two
groups still at variance.
Even when an alternate has been
included in bid, as in the case of
the Ridge read project now under
construction, the result has not been
accepted as conclusive. For example,
the U. S. H. A. technicians believed
that omission of closet doors would
result in a saving of s33 a closet.
The A. D. A. believed it would re-
suit in q saving of only $13 and
would lessen the value of the dwell
ing more than that. The contractor
allowed only $625 for emitting
closet doors. Both A. D. A. and U.
S. H. A. believe that this figure
would have been different had the
alternate been reversed.
Similar differences of opinion de-
veloped in regard to the saving to
be achieved by diminishing room
sizes, A. D. AS rooms averaging 10
per cent larger than U. S. H. AS.
A result has been delay in complet-
ing plans and securing awards"
Plans Would Be Compared.
Because of such differences, the
A. D. A. proposes now to acquire a
level tract Of land, divide it into two
equal portions and on one portion
erect dwellings complying strictly to
the standards which the Federal
agency has advocated. On the other
portion the A. D. A. type of build
lhgs would be erected At present
there are only seven structures on
the entire site. The land costs would
therefore be equal.
Mr.. Ihlder believes the develop
ment will show two things: Differ
ence in initial or construction cost
and difference in INABILITY. Such a
demonstration, he believes, would
furnish basis for standards in fu-
ture developments.
The U. S. H. A. idea Of housing
would be demonstrated In a COM
munity of 312 dwelling units de-
signed according to its specifica-
tons, it was explained. On the
other side of the tract, divided into
equal portions, the A. D. A. would
build 100 dwellings of the type it
desires. The two communities
would be alike except in the matter
Of land coverage, house plan and
certain items of house equipment.
In one project there would be 1874