Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-09-15
Low Rent Housing
Hits Record Pace
NCHA Projects
Top Programs
For "a Years
BY AL ALIBRANDO
Star stan Writer

star Stan writer
Washington's public housing
authority is now building more
permanent low-rent dwelling
units than at any time in its
24-year existence.
The National Capital Hous-
ing Authority this summer COM
pleted the 612-unit Arthur
Capper project in Southeast.
1t now has 1867 units under
construction and is well along
in planning and acquiring sites
for 206 more units.
The current program is
nearly twice as big as the previ-
GUS record yeap, l941, when
/ ,008 units were built.
Completion of the Arthur
Capper dwellings brought the
total number Of public hous-
ling units throughout the city
under NCHA management to
5,949. And the projects now
under construction will bring
this total to 1916 by the end
of 1853.
More Large Units
The biggest project under
way now is Greenleaf Gardens
in Southwest, five and eight
story apartment buildings and
two-story row houses between
/ and N and Canal and Third
streets. This 456-unit project
reflects the new trend in pub
lie housing hnre-more four
and five bedroj - units-as we'll
as the philosophy of the au-
thority and the problem it
faces.
! Although the project includes
multi story apartments. the
authority prefers to build lower
density tfewer people per acre.
housing, such as row houses
and three-story apartments.
We've seen what happens
with these big elevator apart
ments in New York" said
James Ring, NCHA director.
You just transfer families from
one bad situation to another.
You don't change conditions.
You just create new slums."
$1,000 Unit Ceiling
Mr.. Ring explained, however,
that some multi-story apart
ments are necessary here, with
high land costs, to stay within
the maximum project per-unit
cost of $1,000 set by the Gov
eminent. Older persons, child
less couples or those with small
families will be in the buildings.
The following project break
down indicates the growing
trend toward larger public hous-
ing units.
Greenleaf Gardens-The ass
units are divided into Is one
bedroom, 295 two-bedroom. SO
three bedroom. 40 four bedroom
and 20 flve-bedroom units. All
units are expected to be COM
pleted by the end of this year.
KenilwOrth Courts - Three
story buildings and two-story
row houses on Kenilworth
avenue between Douglas street
and Eastern avenue NE. total
ing 422 units. The project will
have SO two bedroom, 202
three bedroom. 124 four-bed-
room and go flve-bedroom units.
1t is expected to be ready for
full occupancy by March, 1869.
Benning Terrace - Three
story buildings and two-story
row houses on G street between
Forty-Seventh street and Ala
bama avenue Sc. The 274
units will be divided into 81
Itwo-bedroom, ITO three-bed-
room, 80 our-bedroom and 20
five-bedroom dwellings. The
project is scheduled for COM
pletion in August, 1859.
StOddert Terrace - Three
story building and two-story
row houses. Two hundred units
will be divided into IL two
bedroom, 81 three-bedroom, 70
four-bedroom and 81 five bed
room dwellings to be completed
in November, 1859.
Syphax Gardens-Occupying
the area between o and P and
Second and Half streets S.W.,
this 174-unit three-story apart
ment project will have 126 two
bedroom and 48 three-bedroom
dwellings. 1t is scheruled for
completion in August, 1853.
Demand Still Greater
Hopkins ApartmentS-These
three and five-Story apartment
houses, totaling 1853 units. are
between K and L and Twelfth
and Fourteenth streets Sc. The
project will provide l08 two
bedroom and so three bedroom
apartments. 1t is to be COM
pleted in September, 1853.
Sheridan Terrace-This 183-
unit row house-apartment
project on Sheridan road be-
tween Howard and Pomeroy
roads Sc. win have SO two
bedroom, 48 three-bedroom and
80 four-bedroom dwellings. 1t
is to be completed in June. 1859.
Despite this great boom in
public housing. the demand is
much greater than available
units. 1t has been estimated
that 10000 units will be needed
by 1861 to house families dis
placed by slum clearance pro-
grams. This does not take into