Evening star., 1942-06-29
Problems Of Local
Housing Reviewed
Writer Reports Progress
With Much Remaining
To Be Done
BIZ John w. THOMPSON, Jr.

By John w. Thompson, Jr.
Developments in Washington's housing
situation are moving rapidly ahead under
the impetus Of the increasing need for
accommodations and the desire OF local
housing groups to cooperate fully with
Congress made sympathetic by the
complaints Of constituents brought here
on war Jobs.
Since the first of the year an estimated
$4,000 persons have come to the District,
in addition to other thousands drawn
here by the emergency expansion Of the
Government even before Pearl Harbor
At the Capitol and the District Build
ing plans and projects are under way.
all of which are related however diverse
they may seem. to the single objective of
providing comfortable. sanitary accom-
modations for these incoming workers.
The past few days have seen moves to
increase the efficiency of sanitary in
spection and control of housing; to en-
courage private home owners to take in
war workers by making 1t easy to get
rid Of undesirable tenants, and to permit,
under certain conditions, small boarding
houses of from four to nine persons to
operate in restricted residential areas
for the duration of the war. A belated
agreement has been reached between the
House and Senate conferees on the So
called District housing appropriation
bill, under which dormitories and some
additional private dwellings would be
constructed.
Events leading up to the present situa-
ton include the passage of the Rent
Control Act and the establishment OF
the rent administration to protect new
comers against excessive rents; the move
by the Zoning Commission to permit
persons in restricted areas to take in up
to four roomers during the emergency.
approved last December; appeals by
members Of Congress and the Commits
sioners to the public to open their homes
to workers; the formation Of the District
housing registry with nstings of accom-
modations and the efforts Of church
Istings, as we'll as appeals by the Civil
Service Commission to war workers COM
ing here to line up accommodations in
advance If possible.
BY spring. however, it was evident that
things were not proceeding satisfactorily.
Home owners were not opening their
homes except in very small numbers
and workers were crowding into loca-
tions near their places OF employment,
regardless of the health and safety con-
ditions involved. The Lanham bill au-
thorizng $4,000 900 Of housing and IA
cilities cleared Congress and became
law. The appropriation to make it
effective is what has been tied up in
conference.
A bill introduced at the instance of
Representative Cochran Of Missouri, still
pending, would open residential areas to
boarding and rooming housing for the
duration provided operations were not
so extensive to require fire escapes under
the District fire escape law. This means
not more than 10 dodgers above the first
floor.
The measure was the subject Of con-
troversy within the Zoning Commission,
a minority consisting Of Commissioners
Mason and Young favoring it. At a
public congressional hearing the bill
was almost unanimously condemned as
unnecessary and undesirable since the
Zoning Commission already has the au-
thority which would be provided by the
act. Recently the commission came for
ward with counterproposal to the bill
under which the Board of Zoning Ad-
justments, after investigation of each
applicant, could permit between four
and nine roomers or boarders in resi-
Dental areas for the duration. A public
hearing will be held on this proposed
amendment to zoning regulations July g.
Meanwhile the Federation of Citizens
Associations, seeking an answer to the
reluctance of home owners to take in
roomers, decided some of it may be due to
their unwillingness to undergo the
lengthy legal procedure necessary to oust
undesirable tenants. The result was
the proposed amendment to the Rent
Control Act, soon to come before the
House, under which home owners taking
in the four roomers permitted by the
Zoning Commission would not be classed
thus be free Of the restrictions imposed
by the act on professional rooming and
boarding houses in ousting undesired
tenants. The sequel to final approval Of
this amendment is expected to be a con-
certed drive by civic leaders in the va
rious areas of the city to open up the
reservoir Of extra rooms In private
homes.
Meanwhile, the tendency Of workers
to crowd into downtown facilities, being
unable to obtain or unwilling to accept
more distant but more adequate accom-
modations stirred the Washington
Housing Association and other housing
groups to push for improvement in
the health and safety conditions Of
local houses. The association has been
we'll aware of the need for this improve
ment even before the national emer-
SGuCy, ollo Wal tAiIlC COllultlOIlS III LIle
Capital aggravated the situation. For q
long time it has been sending to the
building inspector complaints of bad
housing conditions, although realizing
that the inspection staff Is inadequate
to cope with the problem. Feeling that
a good housing code supplanting the
present helter skelter regulations would
be the basis for getting adequate appro-
priations for the sanitary insnection and