Evening star., 1949-04-20
District, u. S. Housing Plans Studied
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D~sssSsI ~ -
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fz52E
verMpnt, were brought back to
tt Senate floor as arguments for
pesage of the pending big Ma
tttnl slun clearance and hous-
i1gSdll.
1 Senate was reminded that
81 W6 1t had enacted the slum
I'd telopment law for the Dis
1t called for a 10-year $40. 0.0o0.-
Ga program for eradication Of
st6ns and the rehousing Of their
occupants. Without appropriation,
Awever. nothing can be done.
Mr.. Ihlder said he is continuing
a&aght TO have his agency author
ed to acquire sites.
Power Taken From NCHA.
C6ngress took this power from
b y NCHA and invested 1t In the
14ea act. The latter agency
Interested primarily in slum
ct nce, while the responsibility
fpr new public housing rests with
the NCHA.
II Congress should restore the
1hnd-acquisition authority, and
appropriate all necessary. funds.
the District might complete its
nublic housing program in 10 or
R years, Mr.. Ihlder said.
AS it is. NCHA has been so
4ymied that in the three years
ancesthe 10-year. program began,
nans have gone ahead for only
3P0 lqw-income families In the
Marshall Heights project Of
Southeast Washington.
lCopinission Approval Needed.
Under the present arrangement,
NCHA can acquire land for public
housing only If the housing has
heen approved by the National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission, Mr.. Ihlder emphasized.
1t still will be two years before
anything can be done for the $50
Marshall Heights families. and
after that. there are about 1.500
others in that area alone to be
rShoused. The 350-family project
will take about $3,000,000 Of the
authorized $40, 100000.
At this time there are $4,000 low
tncome families on the NCHA's list
of those needing decent housing,
but at the present rate Of obtain
ing sites, not more than 2,450 Of
them could be re-housed under
the 10-year-plan, Mr.. Ihlder said.
10000 Dwellings Sub Standard.
Altogether. there are from 40.-
900 to $4,000 sub-standard dwell
lings in the District. some Of
which can be remodled by private
industry. To be eligible for
public housing, the combined in
come II, a family having three or
more children must be $4,000 and
under. except in the case Of vet
erars, who are allowed an income
of $1,000 and under. There are
about 5000 low-income veterans
families in the District.
Mr.. Ihlder said that job OF
this magnitude must necessarily
be gradual because Of the many
social and economic adjustments
it entails, but with proper land
acquiring authority and money, 1t
still could &c done in Is years
or under.
Speaking of alley dwellings such
as the Senators saw yesterday. Mr..
Ihlder said there were about 1900
left here. But it would be fruitless
to raze these without clearing at
the same time the blighted areas
around them, he said.
Douglas Guides Group.
The five Senators who went
summing yesterday. to learn first
hand the story Washington knows
only too well. were Senator Doug
las. Democrat, of Illinois who
served as guide" and Senators
Green, Democrat, of Rhode Island;
Republican Senators Baldwin OF
Connecticut, Ferguson of Michigan
and Morse of Oregon.
The five Senators didn't have to
travel far from the Capitol to find
conditions that Senator Morse later
told the Senate constituted serious
danger of epidemic disease" that
might strike "the high rental areas
where members of Congress live"
as well as other areas.
Senator Morse based his view
partly on comments from city
health officials, including DR.. John
r. Pate, medical director of the
Southwest Health Center. DR.. Pate
has been busy lately escorting
members of Congress and the press
through some of the Southwest IS
worst sections.
Once-Fashionable Areas.
These areas included sections
that we're in fashion in the found
ing days of the Capital where brick
houses George Washington built
as an investment still stand.
Before leaving for the slum in
spection, which included Schott's
Alley, back of First street NE.
on the site of the new Senate
Office Building. only 100 feet eas1
Of the present Senate ONO.