Evening star., 1953-06-03
NCHA 10 End
Segregation in
Here
Speed Of lntegrution
To Be Controlled d by
Community Facilities
By GEORGE Beveridae

The National Capital Housing
Authority today disclosed q new
policy which will lead to elinni~
nation of racial segregation in
"all present and future" public
housing projects here.
At the same time, District
Commissioner Samuel Spencer
called of plans for a public
hearing on a dispute between
the NCHA and the Redevelop-
ment Land Agency as to whether
a public housing project should
be built in Southwest Washing
ton. The nearing was called of
after the RIA withdrew objec-
tions to the proposed project.
The NCHA said it's new policy
Of integration will be applied to
specific projects on a step-by-
step basis. The controlling fac
tor will be the ability of neigh
borhoods concerned to provide
school, playground and other ia
cilities for both white and col
ored families.
The policy wipes out a decision
by the agency in March to end
segregation only in protects
planned or built after September,
1851.
First Actions Taken.
The agency today:
l. Ruled that segregation be
wiped out Immediately at the
313-unit Frederick Douglass
dwellings at Alabama avenue
and Twenty-first street Sc.
These dwellings have been re-
Stricted to colored families.
2. Ruled that four other exist
ing projects will be opened to
occupancy next September l..
They are: Ellen Wilson Dwellings,
I, Sixth and Seventh streets
S E., now white occupancy; Car
rollsburg Dwellings. I, M, Third
and Fifth streets Sc, now
colored occupancy; Jefferson ter
race, K, Sixth and Seventh
streets S.W.. now white occu-
pancy, and St. Mary's Court
Apartments, Twenty-fourth, G.
and H streets NV, now colored
occupancy.
3. Decided to defer application
Of the new policy in the cases Of
the Richardson Dwellings, under
construction at Fifty-third and
Clay streets Me-, and the High
land Dwellings addition, under
construction at Eighth street
and Valley avenue Sc.
Richardson is planned for
colored occupancy and the High
land addition for white low
income familiess. Residents of
the Highland area recently urged
the agency not to apply the
policy in their area because no
facilities exist there for colored
people.
The new policy will not apply
to any war housing units be-
cause most of these are slated
for removal from their present
sites.
Plan Continuous Study.
In cases where the policy Is
held in allegiance, the agency
directed it's staff to keep the
neighborhoods concerned under
continuous study" so as to apply
the policy as soon as possible.
The hassle over the proposed
Southwest public housing prof.
ect arose because it would ad-
join the so-called Area b ear
marked for redevelopment by the
RIA.
While details Of this large re-
development plan are not def
mite. RIA officials feared that a
public housing project might in
terfere seriously with the re-
development planning. Conse-
quently, it urged the District
Commissioners not to approve
NCHA's application for a public
housing site in the vicinity Of
/, Fourth, N and South Capitol
streets S.W. The city heads, in
turn, said they would call q pub
lie hearing within tho next cou-
pie Of weeks.
Commissioner Spencer told a
reporter he saw no reason for
having the hearing, however, be-
cause RIA officials yesterday
withdrew their objection.