Evening star., 1941-03-07
Housing Farley
To Map Action
In Shortage
New Meeting Planned.
First Session Told
Situation Is Serious

facing a serious housing shortage,
representatives of numerous civic
business and labor organizations will
meet soon to decide what might be
done to improve the situation in the
light of knowledge cleaned from the
City-Wide Housing Conference last
night.
Seton Darr, chairman of the con-
ference, announced at the close OF
the meeting that representatives OF
the sponsoring groups would be
called together within the next two
weeks to decide, first, whether to
continue functioning as delegate
body to better housing conditions
and, second, what specific action can
be taken.
1t appeared likely today that the
group will give early consideration to
the Randolph rent control bill. Just
before last nights conference was
adjourned, Elizabeth Ingram, rep
resenting the Buckingham Civic
Association, offered q resolution in
support of the bill, and Mr.. Darr
said the resolution would be con-
sidered at the forthcoming meeting,
Wide Field Covered.
More than 400 persons jammed
the North Interior Auditorium to
hear representatives of both public
and private agencies concerned with
the housing problem discuss virtually
every phase of the question, 1nclud-
Ing supply of dwellings, new con-
struction. slum reclamation, rents,
the effect of the defense program
and legal standards for housing.
At the outset, Chairman Darr
declared Washington is facing the
second housing emergency in our
generation" and expressed hope
that the disastrous mistakes OF
the first one will not be made
again"
Mr.. Darr said about 10000 Federal
employees will be coming into Wash
ington within the next II months,
and that the city must expect a
100000 population increase as a re-
suit of the defense program.
He said the vacancy rate here
already has dropped below per
cent and that landlords are TAX
ing advantage of the housing short
age and raising rents in anticipa-
ton of increased operating costs.
The conference was conducted in
the form of quiz program, with
Mr.. Darr and members of the audi
ence firing the questions and the
housing experts supplying the an
swers. On some points there was
complete agreement, but the rent
control bill raised a controversy.
Posing the question, How can
landlords be prevented from rails
ing rents, when the increasing short
age makes it easy for them to do
this?" Mr.. Darr said he believed
he could answer that for all of the
panel members by saying through
legislation.
Construction Suggested Instead.
But Carl Monsees of the office
of defense housing, o. P. M, took
issue with that statement, saying
that new construction to get rid OF
the shortage was the answer. Leon
H. Keyserling, deputy adminlstra-
tor and general counsel OF the
United States Housing Authority
also disagreed. He said the last
atatempt to fix rents was a ''ghastly
failure" and that the new plan
would be an even worse failure.
Mr.. Monsees estimated the num-
ber of dwelling units available in the
District and the Metropolitan Area
at 7.140, of which 4,300 are for rent
and the remainder for sale. Defense
dwelling projects under consideration
in this locality total 2,l35, he said.
S. Miles Montgomery of the Wash
ington Real Estate Board said the
number of dwelling units started
by private enterprise in January
was 1862, three times as many as
in January, 1910. In the field OF
public enterprise, John Ihlder, exec
utive officer of the Alley Dwelling
Authority. said A. D. A. now has
more than 5000 dwelling units un-
der construction in and around the
District.
Speakers emphasized that the
housing shortage is most critical i'll
the low-income group, and that
there is a great need for additional
housing, especially for colored per-
sons. DR.. George c. Rutland, Dis
trict health officer, warned against
the effect of poor housing on health.
Mrs. Helen Duey Hoffman, director
of the Washington Housing AsSo-
citation. said she has found much
evidence of overcrowding, several
persons being housed in one room
and apartments being split up into
single rooms.
Mrs Hoffman declared some room
ing house occupants find they have
rented beds instead of rooms" Her
association, she said, has received
complaints that rooms previously
used by one or two persons now are
being used to house as many as
five or six persons.
Defense Handicap Foreseen.
Joseph Tufts, chairman of the
housing section, consumer division
of the National Defense Advisory
Commission, expressed a belief local
housing conditions may slow down
the defense program by causing es-
sential workers to leave Washing
ton. And DR.. Rutland pointed out
that any epidemic that might break
out would be intensified by over
crowded conditions.
Lois Sentman, acting secretary
of the child and family welfare
divisions of the Council of Social
Agencies, declared that what the
Alley Dwelling Authority has done
so far lis only drop in the bucket.
Most of the councils clients Ger
tainly are paying much more rent
than they can afford" she said.
When Mr.. Montgomery suggested
that the high housing standards
and the high quality of building ma
terials used are partially responsible
for Washington's high rents, there
were scattered boos from the audi
ence.
Loy Anderson, director of the
District Office of the Federal Housing
Administration, said Chicago, De-
froit New York and YonkerS now