Evening star., 1942-07-04
Housing Needs
Here Continue
To Increase
Builders to Seek
Agreement With
u. S. on Materials
By FRED H. MORHART, JR.

By FRED H. MORHART, JR.
AS the building industry goes into
new fiscal year here, demands for
more housing facilities grow. The
Government, hard pressed to find
quarters for the thousands of work.
ers coming to the city weekly, has
under way 1896 units of war hous-
ing projects.
Meanwhile. private builders faced
with priorities are rushing to COM
pletion all their developments.
Realtors here indicate there still
are a number of homes, apartments
and living places available or under
construction.
Unless there is some way to pry
loose materials, builders will, in the
near future, seek an agreement with
the Government on the extent of
possible new construction in the
Washington metropolitan area.
However, a new field is being op-
ened for the housing of war work.
ers which may do much to break
the jam now developing. This is
through the repair and remodeling
of existing dwellings now being en-
couraged by the Federal Housing
Administration, it was announced
today.
"War Housing" Repairs.
A new simplified order empowers
qualified creditors or lenders to de-
eide whether a proposed repair
project is war housing" according
to the announced plans of John
Blandford, jr., National Housing
Administrator.
Every effort must be made to
encourage home and building own
ers in defense areas to increase the
quantity of housing accommodations
for war workers by enlarging the
capacity of existing structures" Mr..
Blandford stated.
The creditor or lender who quail
hes must meet the following con-
ditions:
The project must be located in
critical defense housing area and
within walking distance. not exceed
ing two miles, of the war activities
it is intended to serve or adequate
existing public transportation, the
round trip cost of which shall not
exceed 40 cents on the cheapest
available basis, and the running
time of which shall not exceed two
hours per round trip.
"The project must either provide
additional living accommodations
suitable for war workers and pref
erence in renting or sale must be
given war workers or be essential to
continued habitation.
Seventeen Loans.
Loans may be secured from
qualified private lending institutions
for projects creating additional liv-
ing accommodations for war work.
ers in the designated critical areas
Amounts up to $1,000 and terms of
as long as seven years may be OBJ
tanned under this phase of the FrHA
program"
Locally where the housing situa-
ton has become large problem, it
Is suggested that inquiries be di-
rected to the FILA Office, community
housing center or other organiza-
tions now interested in finding
homes for employed coming to the
Washington area.
The latest tabulation by the Gov
ernment shows there are AZ projects
either completed, under construc-
ton or in the planning stage. The
present status is given in the fol-
lowing recapitulation:
Stoddert Dwellings, 200 units, and
Highland Dwellings, $50, both almost
complete; Greenbelt Md, 1000, ap-
proximately 80 per cent complete;
Forest Glen. Nd, 10, substantially
complete; Memorial View. Va, 35;
Alexandria, Va, and Knox Hill, $50,
complete.
Other Housing Projects.
Cabin J6hn. 100, and Seven Locks,
20, in nearby Maryland, are nearly
finished Additional projects in
Alexandria are listed as 500 units
complete, Is approximately rs per
cent finished, 120 living places 80
per cent ready for occupancy.
The 110 units at Fort Belvoir have
been completed, as have the 1875
trailer accommodations in Arlington
County. The second trailer camp of
125 units has just been authorized
In Falls Church. another nearby
Virginia project of $50 homes is also
substantially completed, it was re-
ported.
Aside from the Navy Yard trailer
project of $50 units, most of the re-
naming housing construction still is
In the planning and contract stage.
These also are In variety of loca-
tons throughout the city and in
nearby sections, according to the
tabulation.