Evening star., 1954-03-21
800 Buildings
Are Marked for
Condemnation
Inspection by Areas
Speeds Sium Plan;
Bigger Stoff Urged
BY John w. Stepp

The Districts five-year-old
program to condemn slum dwell
ings by neighborhood groups
rather than individual buildings
has reached such proportions
that nearly 800 unsanitary struc.
lures are expected to be black
listed this year.
The figure may 60 closer 70
1000. the Board for Condemna-
ton Of Insanitary Buildings
estimated last night. n Congress
provides the additional stan re-
quested by the Commissioners
In the fiscal 1855 budget.
Slightly more than 500 slum
dwellings were condemned in
1858. according to william n.
Cary. jr.. board member and
director Of public health engi-
neering for the District.
Crack-down Powers Needed.
Congress. moreover. can eive
another boost TO condemnation
board efforts by enacting re-
quested legislation that would
empower the board % crack
down on building owners who
are lax In either repairing or
razing their condemned proper.
ties.
The board now has three regu-
lar and two temporary field in
spectors. 1t has asked for a
total Of six regular inspectors.
With these. Mr.. Cary said, three
inspection teams could be sent
out the year around.
The teams. Mr.. Cary pointed
out, would concentrate on neigh.
borhood-b -by-neighborhood inves-
legations. The method is speed
Ter. he said, than checkups Of
scattered buildings. Further
more, slum property owners
seem much more willing" to do
good renovating jobs when they
know other buildings in the i'm
mediate area are being rehabili-
tated, MIR. Cary said.
Checkups of isolated buildings
would continue of course. Board
inspectors must respond to in
dividual complaints, it was
pointed out. Some structures.
moreover. are so outStandingly
bad they require immediate at
tention.
Six Areas to be Inspected.
So far this year, the board has
lined up six areas it intends to
tackle on wholesale basis.
whether or not more inspectors
are provided. Mr.. Cary refused
to identify these in view of board
policy against forewarning prop
erty owners.
But he called attention to the
area bounded by North Capitol
street, First. K and L streets
NV. in which initial condemna-
ton steps already have been
taken. Between 100 and $50
buildings in this block may be
condemned before this project
is ended.
Among neighborhoods pre-.
Wously covered by the condem.
nation board with good rehabili-
tation or demolition results are
the 400 block of Ridge street
NV; New Jersey avenue in the
vicinity of Terrell Junior High
School; Ivy City and Barry
Farms.
Board officials estimate there
are about 5000 condemnable
buildings in the District. At
the present rate Of housing de-
terioration and condemnation,
there will be a backlog of 10000
condemnable dwellings by the
time the board catches up with
the existing backlog of 5000, one
official estimated.
Stress Need for Tie-in.
Local Government authorities,
including Engineer Commis-
Sioner Louis w. Prentiss, are en-
phatic on another point: The
condemnation method of slum
clearance must be tied-in with
efforts Of the District Redevelop-
ment Land Agency and with the
formulation of a housing code.
Col, Giles l.. Evans. assistant
engineer commissioner and
chairman of the condemnation
board. explained that condemna-
ton procedure can be applied
best in small or isolated areas
where Slums prevail. ! Land re-
development is the logical means
of clearing up large sections the
entire character of which has
been blighted by slum dwellings.
A housing code would establish
stricter building maintenance re-
quirements to prevent deteriora-
ton before the condemnation
stage is reached.
A subcommittee of the Slum
Prevention and Rehabilitation
Committee established last year
by the Commissioners is pre-
pairing recommendations for a
housing code.
The legislative amendment
that would give the condemna-
tion board more enforcernent
powers is currently IN commit
tees of both House and Senate.
This measure would permit tie
District to raze condemned
buildings when the property
owners fail to take action within
a reasonable" period.
Birth Rnfe Gnined