The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-05-04
DATA GATHERED
DEALING WITH
HOUSING UNITS
DION AND KIRKE OF HoUS-
ING AUTHORITY MAKE RE-
PORT ON TRIP TO JACK
SONVILLE

F. j. Dion, chairman of the
Key West Housing Authority, and
w. B .Kirke, member of the au-
thority, attended a meeting of the
Florida Housing Authorities re-
Gently, which was held in the
Mayflower Hotel in Jacksonville
for a group discussion and accom-
plishments of the various Hous-
ing Authorities in the state.
Data gathered at the meetings
and accurate accounts of the &C
compliShmentS on the various
projects, which have been COM
pleted or are nearing that stage,
have been assembled and have
been arranged in such manner as
to give the reader an intimate in
Sight into the processes used in
the different cities.
Report To Council Tonight
The whole report and addenda
has been prepared and will be
presented for discussion of its
various items regarding the costs,
etcetera, of each unit, at the meet
ing of the city council, which is
to be held at the city hall tonight.
1t is pointed out that the earlier
projects, such as those of Liberty
Square in Miami, and the Dur
keeville project in Jacksonville,
have been constructed, the cost
per unit has been considerably
lowered. Liberty Square units
cost $4,000 per unit, while those
now under construction will be
below $4,000 per unit.
Government requirements are
that one existing sub-standard
building must be condemned and
rased for each new unit con-
structed. To be eligible as ten
ant, families must be now living
in sub-standard buildings, and
not receiving an income of more
than five times the value of the
rental charged.
Survey Necessary
The important question pre-
sents itself as to what can be
done for Key West, and the re-
port shows that conferences were
had with Mr.. Sweeley, state SUI
pervisor for these projects, and
the fact was brought out that if
by survey it was shown that
there were from four to five hun
dred families that normally had
an assured income of $50 to $50
monthly, and were now housed in
sub-standard dwellings that Key
West would qualify for such a
project.
First step in the planning is to
have the survey completed. Some
of these have been already made
and others will be needed to COM
plete this information. The next
step is one of general planning
and the submission of five copies
of the application giving all
necessary data describing the
project and its justification.
In other districts the sponsor
ship of ten per cent has been met
by the sale of bonds or notes of
the local authority, to purchasers
other than the u. S. Housing Au-
thority, or through the donation
of land or capital or both. Just
what form this would take in the
local situation has not been de-
termined.
The magnitude of the project
to be proposed for Key West will
be determined by the facts of
the survey and limitations of
available land sights. The ques-
ton of stability of income is al
so a factor which may limit the
size of the project. Rentals in
the lowest brackets can only be
obtained in the larger projects.
These factors and relationships
can only be determined after a
study has been made of. the
facts, it is shown.