Evening star., 1953-07-29
DistrictFacinu
Halt on 2,S7O
Housing Units
Bill for Cutbucks
Throughout Nation
Goes to President

A bill sharply curbing low-rent
public housing developments in
the District and throughout the
Nation goes to the White House
today as Federal officials ordered
a halt to preliminary planning
and land purchases.
Further work on 2,870 units
projected for the District, but
not yet in construction, has been
stopped by Commissioner Charles
E. Slussler of the Public Hous-
ing Administration.
Mr.. Slusser said last night,
after Congress completed action
on the new legislation, that the
cutbackS will be Nation wide,
Included in the stoppage are l.
TAB units on four proposed sites
in Maryland and $500 on as
many sites in Virginia.
The reductions result from a
compromise appropriation bill
for $447,364,449 to finance a
score of independent Federal
agencies, including the PHA, for
the present fiscal year.
No Additional Starts.
The legislation bans any ad-
ditional starts in construc ction
after this fiscal year. but permits
the PHA to build 10000 addi-
tional public housing units dur
ing the year from a backlog of
projects previously authorized.
The District stop order will
affect 1886 units already ap-
proved by the FILA, which has
authorized the National Capital
Housing Authority to proceed
with land purchases and detailed
plans.
Also included are 1,484 units
in the preliminary planning
stage. The plan for developing
these units has been submitted
to the FHA, but had not been
approved when the new legis-
lation was passed.
James Ring, executive direc.
tor of the NCHA, said his agency
had received formal FILA ap-
proval to go ahead with land
purchase and planning for 1927
units.
Land Bought for 26O Units.
OF these, 260 were to have
been erected on the second half
of the East Capitol Dwellings
site in the far Northeast Sec
ton. The land here has been
bought, it was explained.
Other units in the authorized
category were to have been built
on slum sites yet to be cleared
near the old Navy Yard south
Of Virginia avenue Sc, and in
the central Northwest section.
Mr.. Ring said that 1892 low
cost housing units are now occu-
pied III the District, and there is
a waiting list of about 5000
families who meet the REQUIRE
mentS as tenants.
Mr.. Ring said that in addition
to the 1927 authorized units.
his office had selected sites and
submitted estimates to the FILA
on 1884 proposed units.
Discrepancy in Figures.
Mr.. Ring who had not re-
ceived the cutback order from
the FILA, was unable to explain
the apparent discrepancy in his
figures and those announced by
the FILA for the two categories.
The FILA order for the coun-
try at large. in localities and
total units ordered halted, fol-
lows:
Alabama, SO and 5,558; Ari-
zona, 10 and 8e6; Arkansas, 3 and
l66; California. 13 and 684; Colo
RADIO, 401 units; Connecticut, 7
and 663; Delaware, 900 units;
Florida, % and 3,008; Georgia,
50 and 5,217 Hawaii, 2 and 306;
Idaho, 200 units; Illinois, A and
1882; Indiana, 4 and 1882;
Kentucky. and 1,031; Louisiana,
IA and 1894; Massachusetts, IA
and 2,285; Michigan, 13 and L.
26l; Minnesota, 8 and 2,219; Mis-
sissippi, II and 908; Missouri, 3
and 1892; Nevada, 2 and 100;
New Hampshire, 2 and 10l; New
Jersey. Is and 3,541; New York.
10 and 26,200; North Carolina, 10
and 1.677: Rhode Island CProvi-
dence), 442 units; South Caro-
lima, 9 and 900; Tennessee, IA
and 1888; Texas. 43 and 2,809.
Executed contracts but not un-
der construction number Of
unitS): Alabama, IL: Arkansas.
go; Connecticut, 708; Florida,
1888; Georgia, 796; Massachusetts,
897; Mississippi, 1872; North Caro-
lima, 469; Tennessee, 339, and
Virginia. 1853.