Evening star., 1940-10-06
Private Funds Held
Needed 10 Provide
Emergency Housing
Government Has Only
$3.50, 900, 900 Available,
Co-Ordinutor Asserts
By NELSON NJ. SHEPARD.

inability OF the GOVernInCnI 10 pio-
vide the estimated need OF 10000
to 100000 emergency dwellings for
defense workers without leaning |
heavily" on the help of private
enterprise.
Taking $500 as an average cost |
per unit, he figured the expendi-
lures for such an extensive housing |
program would range from $780, |
900 900 to S700 900 900. Against this
amount. the various governmental
agencies engaged in the program !
have only s290000000 left.
consequently" he added. 1T is
self-evident how heavily we must
lean on the help that private enter
prise can give and which we expect |
it will provide
Mr.. Palmer rendered an account
ing" of defense housing progress in
the rs days since the post OF CO.
ordinator was created by the De-
fense Commission to speed up con-
struction and coordinate the many
sided elements that fit into the
picture. His report was rendered
to a luncheon meeting at the Ma
tional Press Club of some 500 rep
resentatives of the various agencies
involved. 1t was sponsored by the
Central Housing Committee, the
chairman of which is Lowell Mellett.
Administrators of half dozen
agencies attended.
Part Of Total Defense"
The housing co-ordinator echoed
the sentiment of Chairman Mellett
that ''the job is big one" and as
serted that defense housing is an
essential part of total defense
speed is paramount in doing the
job, but the speed required is not
incompatible with the principles of
sound community development.
With the 1920, 100000 funds at the
disposal of the various agencies
s15O.OOO,OOO of which is still tied up
in conference between the Senate
and House-the immediate task is
to fill q reported need of 128,791
units in ZIG cities of 38 States and
Territorial possessions.
Mr.. Palmer said the program has
five general categories: % private
housing, 90 the r. F. c. equity pur-
chasing plan. 80 the Federal Works
Agency. a. the United States Hous-
ing Authority and 60 the Army,
Navy and Maritime Commission.
Since the program was initiated,
he disclosed. it is rapidly moving
into the construction of 27,240 dwell
ing units in ITO of the most urgent
and critical situations; units which
private enterprise could not produce
because of the special or temporary
nature"
Progress in IA Areas.
The first s1O,0O0,OOO, which must
be repaid out of current housing
funds. went to the r. F. c. Mortgage
Co. with which to buy equities. AS
a result, he said, progress is being
made in IA areas where the need
to house industrial workers engaged
in defense activities is acute and
not being met otherwise.
These funds can be supplemented
by $4,000, 900 through the proceeds
of mortgages on such projects in
sured by the F. H. A., making a
total of s5O,O00,0O0 Immediately
available for housing of industrial
workers. This plan is designed to
produce houses more quickly, Mr..
Palmer said, than can be done with
subsequent resale of equities.
Next, s1OO O,0OO,O 900 was secured for
housing families of enlisted person.
mel in the Army, Navy and Maritime
Commission. Under way are 12,640
dwelling units for the Navy, he re-
ported, and a 13,9O0-unit program
for the Army. A large proportion of
the program is temporary" and
none of it in the field of private
enterprise.
The Lanham bill, appropriating
$l50,00O,000 for expenditure under
the direction of Administrator John
NJ Carmody of the Federal Works
Agency, is intended primarily to
meet the needs of industrial work.
ers. The bill is now in conference
and should be approved finally in
short while.
Intended originally to compel Mr..
Carmody to carry out the program
through the Public Buildings Ad-
ministration, it was amended in the
Senate so that the work might be
distributed among all the affiliated
agencies. That would include the
U. S. H. A. and the P. w. A., the
former being already engaged in
rather an extensive defense hous-
ing program.
Mr.. Palmer said yesterday that
the housing needs of "loW-income"
families, unable to pay commercial
rents. and particularly for enlisted
mems families, will be met extern
sively through the U. S. H. A. pro-
gram. Several thousand of these
units are now under construction
Thus the type of housing best
adapted becomes a part of the Or
derly growth of the community"
he explained" because it is devel-
oped and operated by local authori-
ties who know the needs and de-
sires of the families they serve"
Navy to Build Projects.
The Navy will itself builo and
manage most of its defense projects,
with the assistance of these local
housing authorities in some cases
The same is true of the Army, eX-
cept the Army will use Federal
agencies for construction more ex-
tensively than the Navy.
With respect to private enter
prise. Mr.. Palmer said industry
would be assigned the major por-,
ton of the demand which can pay
commercial rents or purchase pay
ments. The Defense Commission
Is undertaking an inventory, he said.
to see how completely the market
of F. H. A. mortgages is being sup
piled
Every step in the program is de-