Evening star., 1941-08-15
By JAMES FREE.


One-fourth of the 3,725 dwelling
units provided in the Districts Fed
orally financed emergency defense
housing program have been COM
pleted and the remainder will be
ready for occupancy by the end Of
the year, tour of projects In this
area revealed yesterday.
Defense Housing Co-ordinator
Charles F. Palmer, who conducted
the inspection party. expressed salts
faction with results to date and
pointed out the Governments pro-
gram began only last october.
In addition to the work financed
directly or indirectly by the Gov
ernment, Mr.. Palmer said the more
than 1000 housing units recon-
mended for construction by private
industry for defense workers should
be completed by next July.
Private Builders Praised.
Private builders are carrying
their part of the program very well
in Washington" Mr.. Palmer de-
clared. There appears to be no
reason to expect delays in defense
housing construction due to short
ages of materials" ~
Mr.. Palmer and Frank A. Wander
lip, defense housing co-ordinator for
the region including the Nation s
Capital, stressed that additions may
be expected in Washington's emerg-
ency program.
The situation here changes al
most daily" explained Mr.. Palmer.
And Washington is virtually GER
tain to have its Federal housing
program enlarged as more funds are
made available"
Navy Project is Pleasing.
Housing officials were pleased
particularly with the Navy project
at Bellevue, where 600 units for
families of enlisted men and civilian
employees are finished and most of
them already occupied.
These had to be built in a hurry
and at top cost per unit of $500, "
Mr.. Palmer said. The money was
not available until last mid-Octo-
ber"
John .Ihlder, head of the Alley
Dwelling Authority, said he had
heard the contractor was able to
build the Bellevue units at an aver
age unit cost of $2,800
Rents of the compact, attractive
Bellevue frame houses range from
$3.50 to $28 a month for enlisted
men and from s28 to s39 a month
for civilian workers. For a typical,
two-bedroom dwelling rent is $22 so
for service men and $33 so for civil
ian workers.
Virginia Projects Ready.
The other large project on which
houses virtually are completed and
some occupied is on King street in
Alexandria, Va, 300-unit enter
prise for civilian employees of the
Navy Torpedo Station.
Also finished and in use are IS
houses for enlisted men at the
Arlington (Va) Cantonment.
The only downtown project visited
was the site of the approved $50
unit dormitory-hotel for single
women Government workers where
construction has been started re-
Gently in the 2100 block of o street
NV. Three similar projects-to be
built and operated by private con-
Germs with R. F. C. loans-have been
recommended for Washington by
defense housing authorities.
At Greenbelt, Md, work on the
first 152 of 1000 units to be added
to the model community was
checked by the inspection party.
Roy Braden, city manager of
Greenbelt, pointed out that plan
ners of the town provided for easy
utility expansion to take care of an
additional 2,100 units, and that the
project there would fit readily into
the present 9O0-unit community
The new houses are going up on
the outer fringe of the horseshoe
shaped model town.
Work Elsewhere Progressing.
Other Defense housing projects
now under construction in this area,
according to- Mr.. Palmer, include
200 units for enlisted men at the
Navy Yard; Is units at Cheltenham,
Md. for enlisted men at the Naval
Radio Station; 200 units in Alex
andria for civilian workers at Fort
Belvoir and ITO units In Alexandria
for enlisted men at Fort Belvoir.
Funds have been allocated for 20
units for enlisted men at the Army
War College, so units for enlisted
men at the Army Air Station, $50
units for civilian workers at the
Navy Yard, $50 units for civilian de-
fense workers in Government agen-
cies. 100 units for white civilian
workers and 20 for colored workers
at the Ship Model Testing Plant
near Cabin John, Md; 10 units for
enlisted men at the Army Medical
Center; Is units in Alexandria for
enlisted men at Fort Belvoir, Is de-
mountable units in Alexandria for
- TAA