Evening star., 1944-12-28
War Housing Center
Finds Homes for New
Congress Members

Representatives newly elected last
November and coming to Washing
ton for the first time will be able
to find living quarters, although
some of them will have to be salts
fed with temporary accommoda-
tions until they are able to find per-
manent places more to their liking.
This is the opinion of Mrs. Ellen
R. Harper, manager of the WASH
ington War Housing Center at
Fourteenth street and Pennsylvania
avenue NV. And the satisfaction
of the needs Of the freshmen Rep
resentatives might be counted a mi
nor miracle, for, according to Mrs.
Harper, the Washington housing
situation is tighter now than at any
time since the war began.
Need $50 Units.
The housing problems of the new
Representatives was turned over to
Mrs. Harper and the War Housing
Center by Chairman Randolph
of the House District Committee.
The newcomers had appealed to
Mr.. Randolph and told him of their
hardships in finding living quarters.
There are between 20 and Is
new Representatives who have ap-
pealed to U.s." Mrs. Harper said.
The newcomers and their families
and their secretaries and their sec
retaries' families total between $50
and 500 individuals, and will require
about $50 living units.
They have been modest in their
requests, and have worked with us
very comparatively. Some of the
newly elected Representatives are
In the city now looking at possible
living quarters. Others have turned
the job over to their secretaries.
Some of the inquiries have been
handled by mail, and we have been
putting the Representatives in touch
with real estate agents when space
is known to be for rent"
Temporary Quarters Expensive.
One of the Representatives with
whose housing problem Mrs. Har-
per's organization is graphing is
Hugh De Lacy, newly elected from
Washington States 1st district.
Mr.. De Lacy, who is living at a
hotel with Mrs. De Lacy and their
three daughters, said yesterday he
wished he had house as comfort
able as his Office. The Associated
Press quoted him as saying: you
know, just came from a Puget
Sound shipyard where I was max
ing about $65 a week.. It's costing
up about half that much every day
here"
Mrs. Harper said her organization
almost had Mr.. De Lacy fixed up
yesterday" She said she is conf
dent satisfactory quarters can be
found for him and his family.
Service Available to All.
Outside Mrs. Harper's Office, in
the long room where seekers after
living quarters come, No. SO had
gone up on a card behind the coun-
ter and the 98th applicant had
stepped forward to talk with a staff
member about the possibility of
finding accommodations. But Mrs.
Harper made 1t clear the service
given the new Representatives is
the same service available to all.
I'VE have tried to give them as
good service as we can," she said.
That's the policy of the agency, and
it applies to girl writing in from
Nebraska as well as to a Representa-
tive"
The reasons for the exceptional
stringency Of the housing situation
at this time are several. Mrs. Harp
er pointed out that all facilities
have been exhausted, no new hous-
ing has been provided, and people
still are coming In.
Still They Come.
People believe that when one
Government agency reduces its staff
there ought to be housing facilities
available" she said. "But those
members cut of merely shift to
other jobs. All agencies, and par
ticularly the War Department, are
bringing people in the first of the
year. Some are replacements, but
some represent a net increase"
The question naturally arises con-
corning houses and apartments of
the lame duck Representatives
those who failed of reelection. The
War Housing Center wants it un-
derstood that when it learns of the
possibility Of some one leaving the
city it rushes at him in a here's
your r-hat-what's-your : hurry" atti-
tude. But home seekers have been
placed In the houses and apart
ments Of some Of the lame ducks.
AS for newly elected Senators, so
far as the Housing Center knows,
they aren't among its clients. Ap-
parently they have other resources
or are the beneficiaries Of q new
kind of senatorial courtesy.
H \Af.11 kka