Evening star., 1940-08-04
Defense Housing Plan
Bogs Down for Lack
OF UsabIe Funds
u. S. H. AS Till Empty,
Four Local Projects
Believed Doomed
By NELSON SHEPARD.

&ulido.
The four PROPOSED projects of
Fl 1900 homes for Navy Yard workers
= in the District also may share the
same fate, since the sponsoring
n Alley Dwelling Authority is de-
pendent entirely on the Federal
agency for loans. The Federal till
e is empty and the prospect of filling
1t again, it was claimed, are none
too good unless President Roosevelt
can be prevailed upon to ask new
funds for the U. S. H. A.
Blocked in every attempt to OBJ
tain defense funds for its authorized
program, the Federal agency is
pinning hope tomorrow on the Rules
Committee of the House Before
that group is a bill to appropriate
s5,o00,o00 for rental subsidy pay
ments. which automatically would
- release $3.50, 100000 in regular funds
for housing loans frozen" during
the past two years for lack of a
subsidy authorization. That sum
definitely could be used to extend
+: the original slum clearance and
loW-rent housing program, if Con-
gress approves, but it is doubtful if
any of it could be applied to the
proposed defense housing.
Seen Platform Reputation.
! The real blow to the program came
Thursday when the House Naval
Affairs Committee threw out of the
second supplemental defense bill a
special provision of S250000,000 to
be spent under direction of the
J Housing Authority. A group of
housing opponents in the House
have succeeded in Withholding
funds from the U. S. H. A. previ-
ously voted in the Senate They
threaten to continue blocking
tactics should the Rules Committee
report favorably tomorrow or any
other time.
To New Deal supporters Of hous-
ing, especially. the situation at the
Capitol is paradoxical. Congress au-
thorized defense housing program
with U. S. H. A. participation, they
claimed. but apparently refuses to
appropriate for it. Furthermore,
the Withholding of funds, in which
Democrats have had part, was
declared in effect to be repudia-
ton of a plank in the Democratic
platform. That plank adopted at
Chicago not only pledges con-
tinuance of regular public housing
but also advocates acceleration of
housing for families of enlisted men
and industrial workers in areas eX-
panding under the national defense
program.
U. S. III. A. Out of Picture.
Debate on housing in passage Of
the supplemental naval bill was
brief but enlightening. In explain
ing the bill provided no funds for
the y. Sn,xHs.a.A., Representative
Taber, Republican, New York, de-
clared the agency would have been
"the most incompetent outfit that
might be picked to take charge Of
that operation"
Chairman Vinson of the Naval
Affairs Committee was no less
caustic.
we are completely divorcing the
Navy from the United States Hous-
ing Authority and not permitting
the U, S. H. A. to get its nose
under the tent of the national de-
fense program" he said.
That action, unless remedied. will
shut the Federal Housing agency
completely out of the picture so
far as both the Army and Navy
are concerned.
A separate bill carrying s75,OOO,-
900 additional funds will be reported
for naval defense housing, Mr. Vim
son said, but the buildings will be
erected under Navy contracts. An
earlier bill carried $29,000,000 for
naval housing. The War Depart
ment already has $75,700000 in de-
fense funds for temporary housing
such as the U. S. H. A. hoped to
build for the Army and $1,000, 900
for barracks and quarters from its
regular supply bill The Army
Quartermaster Corps will do the
work.
Situation Seen Critical.
The two services. officials init
mated, are none too eager to as
sumo the responsibility for this
housing and would just as soon
let local housing agencies take the
load from their shoulders.
Federal officials admit the situa-
ton with regards to the regular
program will indeed be critical un-
less the House approves the amend
ed Senate bill appropriating S5,00o,-
600 for rental subsidy payments.
Last session the Senate authorized
an additional $500, 100000 for U. S.
H A. loans and made the provision
for the full amount of subsidy pay
ments required by law. The bill was
blocked in the House. Since then
the U. S. H. A. has been working
desperately to salvage some of it..
Early in this session they hoped for
100000 900. AS opposition increased
the ante was lowered.
Now the u S. H A is putting all
its hope in the small amount of
subsidy which the Rules Committee
is to pass on. Informed congress
sional sources, according to the
Associated Press, predicted the COM
mittee would ditch" the bill.
Meanwhile, support for the de-
fense housing program came from
one source and an attack on it
from another.
Shortage Held Imminent.
The National Executive Commit
tee of Housing Authorities said
serious housing shortages are i'm
minent in nearly 200 key cities as
result of the expansion of the
national defense program" Wash
ington is being flooded with appeals
for financial assistance to help this
critical situation, it was declared
To meet these appeals the U. S.
H. A. can now only recover small
amounts from dead" or slow-mov-