Evening star., 1942-04-22
Capital 10 GET
5000 More
Housing Units
President Approves
New Building Plans,
Says Blondford
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.

for Washington was announced
today by National Housing Ad-
ministrator John B. Blandford,
jr.. who said President Roosevelt
had approved the erection with
public funds of an additional
5000 permanent family dwelling
units for this area.
This part of the program. Mr..
Blandford explained, must await
subsequent congressional appropri-
alton. Presumably. the erection of
5000 permanent dwellings would re-
quire nearly as large an additional
appropriation as was authorized for
housing in the recently enacted $50
600, 1000 Lanham bill.
Under the entire program, includ-
ing new projects as well as ones
previously announced, more than
$4,000 family dwellings and dormi-
tory space for an additional $4,000
workers will be built this year In
metropolitan Washington.
Job for Private Industry.
The new program, approved by
the President, calls for the erection
of 1000 homes in the Capital area
during 1912 by private industry.
Mr.. Blandford said priority assis-
tance for private builders to erect
these houses will be recommended
to the War Production Board. This
is as many units as private enter
prise built in l941, the greatest home
building year in washington history.
Mr.. BIandford said dormitory ac-
commodations for $4,000 single
workers and about 1000 permanent
family dwellings will be erected
Immediately here with the $50, ,000,-
900 provided for housing in the
Lanham Act. The remaining $40
100000 from the Lanham Act was
allocated for community facilities.
The bill to appropriate this $50,-
000, 900 has been submitted to Con-
greSs.
The Federal Public Housing Au-
thority, Mr.. Blandford said, will
build the permanent housing and
dorrnitories provided under the
Lanham Act.
D0rmitOries for Workers.
The dormitories are planned for
workers earning less than 81 800 a
year, and space for about l3,5oo
will be for single women, OF which
1000 will be built for colored wom-
en-. The remaining 1900 will be for
men war workers. The rooms, Mr..
Blandford said, will be for single
and double occupancy. Recrea-
tional facilities, both indoor and
outdoor, and cafeterias will be pro-
vided wherever possible.
Plans for distributing the new
dormitory units on public and leased
land are tentative and subject to
further study and conferences with
planning officials. These plans follow:
Accommodations for $500 to $500
will be located in the District. The
possible sites are East Potomac Park
and the Polo Field, stadium site near
the Anacostia River, and, for colored
occupancy, in the vicinity Of Howard
University or Langston Terrace.
housing development on Benntng
road NE.
Virginia Accommodations.
In nearby Virginia accommoda-
tions for $500 to $500 workers will
be located. Specific sites were not
mentioned, but Mr.. Blandford said
the Virginia dormitories will be
readily accessible to the new War
and Navy Department buildings.
Office buildings in the Mall and the
National Airport.
Accommodations for 1000 will be
erected at Suitland, Md, site of the
new Census Bureau building.
The 1000 permanent dwelling
units, to be built with public funds
under the Lanham Act, will be for
families with incomes ranging from
81 200 to $4,000. Approximately 400
will be for colored occupancy. Lo-
cations for the dwellings were not
announced, but 1t was stated the
housing would be erected as close
as possible to Federal buildings or
along established transportation
lines.
Stationing Of Workers.
Location Of all new housing, Mr..
Blandford said, both public and pri-
vate, will be governed by the loca-
ton of Office buildings housing new
Government employees. 1t is ex-
pected that third of the new work.
ers will be stationed in the@Arling-
ton-Alexandria area. Another third
will work in the main Government
building area of the District, roughly
south of K street and west of North
and South Capitol streets. The re-
manning one-third will be stationed
farther out in the District and at
Suitland.
The new public housing program
is in addition to the $500 apartment
units and 2,144 dormitory rooms be-
ing erected by Defense Homes Corp,
r. F. c. subsidiary, and the 4,500
demountable family dwellings now
being planned by the Alley Dwelling
Authority.
1t is estimated, Mr.. Blandford
said, that rooming accommodations
for $4,000 persons will be obtained
in private homes during the re-
mainder of this year through the
defense housing registry.
Bill Gets Right of Way.
Meanwhile. appropriation Of the
$50,000.000 authorized by the Lam
ham Act, will be taken up as an
emergency measure Friday by sub
committee Of the House Appropria-
tons Committee.
Hearings at which officials of the
National Housing Agency and the
Federal Works Agency will testify
have been arranged by Chairman
Cannon of the Appropriations Com
mittee. Members of the Deficiencies
subcommittee to which the measure
was referred promise that the bill
Will be reported promptly to the
Hoatea