Evening star., 1940-07-21
y. 5. Speeds Up
Program for
Defense Homes
low-Rent HOUSING
Plqns Are Pushed
By Two Agencies
By NELSON MI. sHEPARD.

by NELSON M. SHEPARD.
Drastic methods are being em-
ployed BY the United States Housing
Authority to speed up and finance
the initial stages of q program un.
dertaken In accordance with direc.
hons from Congress, to supply
emergency housing for the families
OF enlisted personnel, and for work.
ers in areas where industry is ex-
panding to meet defense needs.
Encouraged, also, by q pledge
from the Democratic convention to
make the low-rent housing plan q
powerful arm OF national defense"
ofncials said yesterday they are in
augurating series of short cuts.
Acting toward the same objective
on another front, the National De-
fense Commission yesterday ap-
pointed Charles +. Palmer of At.
lanta as housing co-ordinator to
expedite housing development nec-
essary to national defense.
Mr.. Palmer Is chairman of the
Atlanta Housing Authority and
president Of the National Associa-
tion of Housing Ofncials.
Seek "Frozen Funds.
Efforts will be made this week to
obtain favorable action from the
House Rules Committee on . bill
that would release $l50,000, 900 In
frozen" U. 8. H A. funds for allo-
cation. The need is apparent, for
Congress provided no additional ap-
preparation in authorizing . defense
housing program.
To overcome this handicap, the
U. s. H. A. already has recaptured
some $40. 900 900 in allocations and
earmarkings made to various local
authorities. 1t is planning q raid on
all dead" funds which for various
reasons have not been put to work.
Local authorities, therefore. are being
warned their prospective loans will
be forfeited for defense housing un-
less their regular programs are
speeded up.
Other short cuts stressed were:
Slashing Of, red tape at Washing
ton headquarters and orders to re-
duce the construction period Of
housing for defense purposes by at
least .two-thirds after bids are
opened. Normal construction of q
project takes from II to Is months.
The defense schedule calls for COM
pletion In to 5 months.
Priority also must be given by
local communities to defense hous-.
ing when undertaken in connection
with the regular U. S. H. A. pro-
gram. The same goes for the WASH
instpn once. s Il
Snmunities Co-epSrs sss
Since Congress added th4 kol l1iins
rider to the NATIONAL defense BIT
on June 20, more than $50 COM
munities all over the country have
contacted headquarters with . view
to cooperating. No project, how
ever. can be undertaken without
the approval OF President Roose-
welt. He must first determine II
there is an acute shortage of hous-
ing in the locality involved, which
might impede the defense program.
To date, Mr.. Roosevelt has ap-
proved contracts for defense hous-,
ing only at the Pensacola Fla.)
Naval Station and for workers at
Maxwell Field. Montgomery, Ala.
Since then the U. s. H. A. has ear.
marked $13,500, 900 in recaptured
funds for such projects in eight
other cities. mostly IN Pennsylvania
industrial centers and at Newport,
r. l., and Corpus Christi, Tex.
The paper work at Washington
was speeded up to such an extent,
it was said, that Executive approval
for the two Southern projects was
obtained within five days after re-
ceipt OF the application here. Ordi-
narily the process takes. several
weeks, at least.
Quick Action Possible.
Administrator Nathan Straus yes
terday gave assurances that the new
defense functions Of the Federal
agency win in no way interfere with
the present slum clearance and low
rent housing program. There will
be no barracks built, he said. ''The
streamlining process does not alter
the fundamental purpose Of public
housing but simply expands the
q. 8. H. A. facilities and makes
possible quick and effective action
in meeting urgent defense needs"
Onicials declared the defense
housing is for the duration Of the
emergency" and all such projects
for defense workers will eventually
be absorbed in the regular programs.
In highly industrialized centers
where 1t is anticipated many defense
units will be erected, it will mean
that. the low income groups, or slum
dwellers, will have just that much
longer to wait until they can get
actual housing relief from the u. s.
H. A. But wherever possible, 1t was
pointed out, the defense housing
will be sponsored as additional
units and the regular program for
slum dwellers viii be continued.
Important notifications of the
present housing act were author
lied by the new defense legislation.
May Purchase Land Direct.
The U. s. H. A. during the period
of the emergency, may now purchase
land direct or use the Federal power
tsee HOUSING, Page B-2.)
suggested the board adopt 4 policy
of acting on applications within one