Evening star., 1940-07-31
DefenseHousino
Here Held Up by
Lack Of Funds
A. D. A. Ready to Stort
Four Projects When
Money Is Available
BY NELSON NJ. sHEPARp.

Lack OF Federal funds for defense
housing, it developed today, is the
only thing holding up early presi-
Dental approval of four local prof.
ects to provide 1000 additional
dwelling units for families of ci-
villain workers brought to Washing
ton during the initial stages of the
emergency.
The Alley Dwelling Authority.
which would deal with the shortage
OF descent housing available here at
low rentals, notified the United
States Housing Authority that it is
ready to begin construction as soon
as funds are provided
John 1hlder, executive officer, said
the first phase of the programme
be followed by other units as needed
was intended primarily for work.
ers in the rapidly expanding WASH
ington Navy Yard.
The U. S. H. A.. sponsor of the.
Nationwide defense housing pro-
gram, has no money available at
present for such purposes. It's "tilr,
was represented as empty, but offi-
Gals are depending on early so-
proval by Congress of a bill pro-
Vldlng S250000,000 in fepayable loan
FUNDS. This bill has been reported
laVorably by the House Naval At
lalrs committee. The loans are in
tended to meet the housing needs of
enlisted men and workers at naval
establishments.
Overcrowding Expected.
with Washington apparently fac
ing overcrowded conditions before
many months as a result of ex-
pansion under the defense agency.
neither the A. D. A. nor the U. S. II
A., 1t was said today, has the legal
rlgnt to take steps to regulate rents
IN washington. Officials said that
tnls may fall within the duty of The
national Defense Council and they
are waiting for some move to he
mace by that agency or by Congress
10 Keep private house and apart-
ment rentals from going too high.
Mr.. 1hlder said the A. D. can
expedite construction of local de-
tense units as soon as funds are
mace available, but doubted If con.
oltlohs here would permit cutting
tne normal construction period bv
tWo-tnlrds as called for by the u. s.
n. A. schedule. He estimated. how
ever, that projects could probably
oe completed within 200 days, a con-
siderable saving in time.
Supplements Regular Program.
Washington's defense housing, he
pointed out, will supplement the
regular program of low-rent hous-
ing now under construction and
after the emergency passes it will be
ntted into that program for low-in-
come families.
AS the needs arise in the future
ne explained, the defense program
Will be expanded Somewhat higher
rents will be charged for shelter
than under the regular public hous-
ing program. He estimated the ten.
ants would be selected from groups
receiving SITS a month and under.
Rents would probably be fixed he
explained, at the rate of one-fifth
u income in the lowest brackets and
one-fourth in somewhat higher
brackets.
TT Is assumed that the higher
paid personnel summoned to Wash.
lngton will be provided for by
private enterprise" Mr.. Ihlder said.
consequently, the Authority's in.
terest is in those whose income fall
IN the lower brackets"
One Site Already Owned.
One of the four project sites al.
ready selected is owned by the
A. D. A. A. typographical survey has
been ordered so the achitect and
builder may start as soon as funds
are available. The site is that of
the Fort Dupont dwellings project
now nearing completion. only half
OF which has been utilized. 1t is in
Anacostia near Fort Dupont.
The other three sites are owned
by one or two persons. each of whom
is willing to sell. Test borings have
been made on one of them to avoid
delay in starting work. On perhaps
all three, Mr.. Ihlder said, it may be
possible to use unit plans already
prepared to expedite the program.
If greater speed is necessary, the
A. D. A. will require that the
builders. in submitting bids, figure
on employing two or three shifts of
workers. Building on a net cost
basis is not now contemplated, Mr..
Ihlder said.
The local situation was discussed
at conference held in the office of
| Charles E. D. Prins, information
director at U. S. H. A. with Jacob
Crane, assistant to Administrator
Nathan Straus and Oliver C. Wins
ton, director of the region in which
Washington is located.
Mr.. Prins pointed out that the
Federal Government does not know
how many workers will be brought
here in the next few months or year.
although there have been estimates
OF 5000 in a few months time.
Some Funds "Recaptured."
BY meeting urgent needs now, at
| the start OF the emergency, it was
believed the situation would not be-
come so bad in Washington as dur
ing the World War, when no early
start was made to provide adequate
housing.
The money angle is the chief
concern at present. The U. S. H. A.
has $150,000000 in frozen" funds
which cannot be used for defense
housing because Congress appro-
priated it for the regular public
housing program on a subsidy basis.
1t failed to appropriate for the an
nual subsidy payments, however, so
this large amount has been tied up.
Several defense housing projects
requested by the Army and Navy
are being financed with subsidies
"recaptured" from slow moving local
agencies.