Evening star., 1941-05-14
Business Area
Dormitory for
Girls Projected
Privute Contractors
Plan Seen as Spur
To Defense Housing

A private contractor has agreed to
build and operate in downtown
Washington a 250-unit dormitory for
single girls in the Government serv-
ice, it was learned today.
The project is to be financed
through Reconstruction Finance
Corp. funds and has been welcomed
by officials of the Defense Housing
Co-ordinator's Office as an indication
that private enterprise may enter
the loW-cost housing field here more
then it has been able to do in the
past, and thus save the Federal
Government spending millions of
dollars that otherwise might have to
be expended for defense housing in
the Nations Capital.
Details of the plan were not made
public, but it was learned that the
dormitory would be situated near
the business area. 1t is planned as
a part of 1,000-unit dormitories for
girls recently outlined for the Dis
trict by Defense Housing Co-ordi-
nator Charles F. Palmer.
Contract Expected Shortly.
The contract is expected to be let
shortly, and the dormitory will be
we'll on the way to completion by the
end of the year.
Meanwhile, Frank Bennett, re-
gional director of the Defense Hous-
ing Co-ordinator's Office, revealed
that the first housing units projected
by the emergency defense program
will be completed by the end of this
month.
One hundred houses for families of
enlisted men and civilian workers
at the naval base at Anacostia are
scheduled to be ready by June /,
with 100 additional houses being
completed each two weeks until the
fun project of 600 houses has been
occupied, according to Mr.. BNnett.
Another Group Being Completed.
Also due for completion by June 1
are the first so of 300 dwelling units
approved for families of civilian
employees of the Naval Torpedo Sta
tion of Alexandria, Va, Mr.. Bennett
said. Other houses there will be
finished at the rate of so every two
weeks.
AT Arlington Cantonment, he add
ed. the contractor has agreed that
the IS houses assigned for families
of enlisted men are TO be COM
olotaJ nv Ti,na IT
Other housing units in the 1850
publicly financed program in this
area are in various stages Of prog
ress. but it is doubtful if many of
them will be ready for use before
the end of this year.
Private enterprise has done a
marvellous" job of assisting the
Federal Government in its difficult
ties in providing homes for the
thousands of new workers who have
been brought, into Washington by
the defense program, according to
Mr.. Bennett.
Assigned 624 Units.
A total of 624 units have been
assigned to private enterprise on and
near Federal reservations. Three
hundred of these are to be for the
Alexandria Torpedo Station. 200 for
Boiling Field. 49 for the Army War
College and rs for Fort Belvoir.
Mr.. Bennett said that plans have
been virtually completed for a pri-
vately financed 1,800-unit housing
project in nearby Arlington County,
with the first 375 units finished to be
"earmarked" for civilian employees
of the Alexandria Torpedo Station
and Fort Belyoir.
These units-to rent for about $11
a room-are expected to be more
than half finished by the end of
1941, it was said.
1--WE hope that these private ven-
tures-the 250-unit dormitory for
girls and the 1,800-unit in Airing
ton-will serve as yardstick and
encourage other projects of this
kind" Mr.. Bennett asserted.