Evening star., 1950-10-09
|hIder Protests
Plan for Midcitv.
Redevelopment
Housing Official Soys
8-Story Apartments
Would Return SIums

w WIN NSA0iu SGuiuS
Objections to eight-story apart
ments as suggested for a rede-
velopment project in midcity
Washington were raised today
by John Ihlder, executive direc-
tor Of the National Capital Hous-
ing Authority.
Mr.. Ihlder's objections were on
two grounds:
/. If the apartments are in
tended for low income families
they will not clear the slums, they
will re-establish them.
2. If the buildings are for mid
die or high income families, where
will present residents of the area
go?
The redevelopment plan as sug-
gested by the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission
calls for some three-story single
family buildings of the row or
group type in addition to the
apartments. The area for which
the suggestions Is advanced is
bounded by Seventh street and
New York, New Jersey and Rhode
Island avenues.
Population Is $4,000.
The population Of this district
was estimated at $4,000 in 1948.
According to the commission the
same number Of persons could be
housed there in the apartments
and houses, using only Is per cent
of the land area, leaving the rest
for Fairgrounds and open grassy
spaces.
This plan is outlined in a mono
graph on housing and redevelop-
ment drawn up in preparation for
the commissions comprehensive
regional plan for the Washington
area, soon to be published. Mr..
Ihlder said that he had read the
monograph.
To the suggestion of apartments
for low income families Mr.. Ihlder
raised this question:
Can you see people of low in
come, with two to five children,
living in eight-story elevator
apartments? Would you want the
District to become like Manhat-
tan?"
Cites New York Situation.
He explained that in 1840 New
York had a situation somewhat
like ours nova city of single
family dwellings, almost all row
houses. and a swelling population.
New York, he said, believed the
solution was the five and six-story
tenement. The city was built
higher and denser to accommo-
date more people, and the result
was the worst slums in the coun-
try.
II don't concur in the approach
of taking the population figure Of
a congested district and saying.
Well build the type of housing
necessary to take care of this
population I'd begin at the other
end and say, Well build good
dwellings and provide a good en-
vironment.'
The great majority of low in
come families applying to the
housing authority for living quar-
ters are those with children, Mr..
Ihlder said. For these families, he
said, the normal house is the two
story row house.
Would Limit Public Housing.
In another of it's preliminary
drafts the planning commission
said not all areas cleared for re-
development should be devoted to
public housing. Under the land
use plan, the commission said.
some re-development should be
for middle income and even high
income families. This would be
handled by private enterprise once
the land is cleared.
Theoretically, that is good"
Mr.. Ihlder said, providing that
adequate and convenient locations
are provided for the low income
families. They are an integral and
important part of the population
and can't be disregarded. The
greater part should be rehoused in
the areas where they are now liv-
ing"
The commissions plan contem-
plated that the housing authority
would provide housing for the low
income families displaced by re-
development projects. Mr.. Ihl-
der's reaction to this was that it
was easy to say, but he wanted
spelled out just where these low
income families would be housed.
Wants Co-ordinated Effort.
Certainly, he said. the activities
of his agency and re-development
efforts should be geared together.
There will have to be a co-opera-
tive study and efforts to provide
for the displaced low income
groups. He reiterated that they
should be housed largely in the
same areas they are now. There
would be mechanical difficulties
during the construction period, he
said, but these would not be in
surmountable.
In preparing for the housing
program of building
more than 1000 dwelling units he
said three kinds of sites have been
decided on: A congested area,
where the population would be de-
creased by the development; a de-
Perforated area, where the popula-
ton may be increased, and vacant
or sparsely occupied land.
The aim is good housing and
good environment, he emphasized.
BillfoId Theft Smoothes
WAY of q Trunsoressor