Evening star., 1941-05-13
.S33 Level Held
Biggest D. {.
Rental Problem.
Influx of 26, 900
Workers Forecast
In Next Fiscal Year

Washington's biggest housing
problem during the current emer-
gency will be in providing dwelling
units for thousands of new arrivals
who can afford to pay only $33 and
less month for rent, 1t was agreed
last night at forum meeting of
the Washington Building Congress
at the Mayf1ower Hotel
Miles L. Colean, director of the
Twentieth Century Fund, said
authentic reports indicate that 26, 900
additional Government workers will
come to work here during the next
fiscal year and that SO per cent of
them will earn less than $4,000 a
year.
Such earnings, he said, would allow
some $4,000 of these Federal en-
ployes to pay a maximum of $33 a
month in basic rent.
Long Need Claimed.
AS an example of the difficulties
that these lower-income employees
would encounter, Mr.. Colean pointed
out that in the last year less than
20 per cent of the houses built in
this area sold for 1900 or less and
that Of 1890 dwelling unit vacancies
noted in recent surveys. more than
$500 had rentals of $40 a month
or more.
The District has needed more low
rent housing units since long before
the defense program began, A. c.
Shire, technical director of the
United States Housing Authority,
told the some 100 persons attend
ing the forum. He said the pub
hcly financed housing program ap-
proved for Washington so far called
for 1850 family units and that
1,000-unit group of dormitories for
girls was planned as self-support-
ing project under the Defense Homes
Corp, subsidiary of the Recon-
struction Finance Corp.
All of these Federally planned
dwellings, Mr.. Shire declared, would
have low rentals based on the in
come OF the persons occupying them
rather than type of quarters. They
would not. therefore, compete with
private building, he asserted.
Further Need Foreseen.
Frank Bennett, regional eo-ordi-
nator of the Defense Housing Co.
ordinator's Office, declared that at
least 5000 more such dormitory
units are needed in Washington. He
recommended such projects as a
good investment for private builders.
Mr.. Shire had cited figures indi-
eating that building costs in WASH
ington were about IL per cent higher
than the average for the Nation
and as much as Is per cent higher
than in number of other cities.
These higher costs, several speak
ers said, made 1t very difficult for
private builders here to provide
Units in the lower-rent brackets.
Some OF them suggested that 1t
might be of mutual benefit for the
Government to subsidize private
construction Of dwellings for low
income families.
Other speakers, who discussed
housing along general problems of
construction, obtaining building ma
terials and financing construction
projects, included Charles j. Har-
nett. vice president of Clarence w.
Grosneal, Inc; F. Stuart Fftzpat-
rick, director of the construction
and civic development department
of the United. States Chamber of
Commerce: Robinson Newcomb. stat
istician for the once of Production
Management; F. G. Addison, jr.,
president of the Security Savings g.
Commercial Bank: John Reilly.
president Of the Second National
Bank; Hillary Hoskinson, vice presi-
dent of the Riggs National Bank:
Hector M. airing. special assistant
to the president. Johns-Manville
Corp; DR.. Hugh L. Dryden, director
OF technical research, National Bu.
reau Of Standards, and M. j. Nc
MILAN, Washington manager of the
Portland Cement Association.
Theodore Irving Coe served as
chairman.