Evening star., 1954-11-13
Quick D. c. Decision
Due After Hearing
On Housing Project

Quick action by the District
Commissioners on q request to
approve boundaries Of q public
housing project in Southwest
Washington was forecast yester-
day by Commissioner Samuel
Spencer.
Asking for additional infor-
nation on the property of OPP
ponents whose holdings would be
condemned to make way for the
456-unit project, Commissioner
Spencer predicted q decision
next week.
He spoke after q public hear
ing at the District Building, at
which eight witnesses urged ap-
proval and seven opposed the
The project areas for which
the National Capital Housing Au-
thority requested approval Of
boundaries are located, between
First and Third streets S.W. and
] and N streets.
$40 Apartments. 4
James Ring, director Of the
housing authority, said the two
projects would house 456 families
in 1876 row and group houses and
800 apartments. Two eight
story elevator apartment build
ings would be included for the
benefit of persons unable to
climb stairs.
Murray Kaye. owner Of the
District Waste Materials Co.,
Inc, at 1912 Third street S.W.,
said that he can find no suitable
location in the District. He said
he employs Is people with q to-
tai payroll Of $53.703 a year.
"If am forced to leave the
District, quite a few of these
people are going to lose their
jobs" he said.
John D. Fitzgerald, attorney
for Samuel Springmarl and his
sister, Mrs. Grace Groves, who
own property In the area, said
they get high rents from indus
trial tenants, and that they can
not find other property that will
give them q similar income.
Robert Ginsberg, for the
Southwest Business Mems Asso-
citation, contended there is al
ready a disproportionate amount
Of public housing in the area.
Realty Executive Heard.
NOther opponents were Hugh
v. Gittinger. jr., executive sec
retary for the Washington Real
Estate Board, and Joseph H.
Snyder, attorney for Benjamin
Taxin. a property owner in the
area.
Among supporters were the
Rev. James Harvey Randolph,
pastor of the Mount Moriah
Baptist Church, Third and L
streets S.W.. who called the
project "an asset to the COM
munity," and Mrs. Helen Duey
Gilman. for the American As
sociation of University Women.
Charles j. Bauer, executive
director of the Building Owners
and Managers Association Of
Metropolitan Washington, op-
posed the project as an "un-
American ! d "a, uneconomical
and wrong from the sociological
standpoint" asfsG
He urged that low income
families be given q direct rent
subsidy to let them select
homes Of their own choosing.
like other Americans"
Several Favor Project.
Approval Of the project boun-
daries was requested also by
John j. Hoskins. Washington
Housing Association; John
Ihlder, chairman of the Hous-
ing and Development Committee
Of Americans for Democratic
Action; Mrs. Sarah F. Schroeder,
chairman Of the Public Relations
Committee, American Associa-
tion Of Social Workers.
Other supporters we're Leon s.
Calhoun, president, Southwest
Civic Association, and Mrs. Ethel
Strong, Federation of Civic Asso-
Citations.
Another opponent of the prof.
ect was Clarke Daniels. chair.
man of the Public Housing Conn
mittee. Metropolitan Washington
Homebuilders' Association.