Evening star., 1946-01-26
Housing Scarcity Here Called Tighter Than During War
Newcomers May Be
Forced to Use
ents for Shelter
BY ROBERT ]. LEWIS,

| Dy 1NODEzt1
The housing scarcity today In
Washington is more acute than at
any time during the war emergency
| If demand continues to rise with
out additional relief, there is a
chance newcomers may have to
resort to tents or other makeshifts
That is the opinion of Mrs. Ellen
Harper, director of the District War
Housing Center, SIS, 5,O00-a-year cen
trail referral service maintained by
the Government at 1400 Pennsyl-
vania avenue NV.
Crowds of homeseekers are so
large every day that applicants fire.
quently must wait an hour to talk
to interviewers.
Servicemen Worst Hit.
Worst of all, demand is rising
sharply while the turnover of rooms,
apartments and houses has Stacked
off. Returning servicemen are being
hit worst, even though they get
priority on virtually all vacancies.
A civilian without a war record
has little more chance to get a
place to live through the War Hous-
ing Center than a SNOWFALL has to
survive on midsummer day, ac-
cording to center employees.
Walk in and you think you're in
the Internal Revenue Office on the
last day for filing tax returns. Many
persons apply week after week.
Veterans reapply most frequently,
Without counting reapplications,
there has been a 48 per cent increase
this month over last in the number
of serVicemen and veteran appli-
cantS.
6,549 Families Apply.
In the last 80 days, 6,54s families
and individuals applied for rooms,
apartments or houses. OF those,
4,017 were veterans or servicemen.
Of the total, 4,300 wanted apart
ments or houses and 2,249 wanted
rooms. The center has been able to
supply 100 per cent of the need for
rooms. But the room supply has
now hit rock bottom because an
unusual number of couples wanting
other accommodations are forced to
remain in rooming houses.
Only about 25 per cent of the
number of families seeking apart
ments and houses every month can
be supplied.
In contrast to the last 30 days,
the previous month brought 4,528-
or 2,021 fewer-applications. Mrs.
Harper is worrying about what will
happen if there is another increase
next month.
To cut down the waiting period,
three additional interviewers are to
be employed soon to bring the total
to Is. The search for rooms and
apartments is being stepped up.
Constant Phone Check.
Telephonists maintain a constant
check of 300 rental agents at the
rate of 100 calls day. Thus, every
third day each rental agent re-
ceives a call.
During the war. the great de-
mand was for rooms for single girls,
rejecting the Government re-
cruitment program. Today only a
few single girls apply every month.
Three big categories:
Newly married veterans return
ing to Washington with their wives
and for families. They had no sep
arate homes here before the war.
Veteran newcomers who arrive to
take Government jobs.
Veterans returning to re-establish
homes and families here.
Center Open Daily.
The center is open daily from 9
am. to pm, with Saturday hours
9 am. to pm. Busiest hours are
from II to 3 pm. If you apply
during that period you'll have the
longest wait.
The receptionist reports at $50
am. so that promptly by inter-
viewing can begin. The last appli-
cations are taken at S pm. so every
one can be interviewed by O'Clock.
The center was opened in March.
(See HOUSING CENTER, Pr. BED