xt7c862bcb91 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7c862bcb91/data/mets.xml  United States Housing Authority 1939 v.: ill.; 29-40 cm. UK holds archival copy for ASERL Collaborative Federal Depository Library Program libraries and the Federal Information Preservation Network. Call Number FW 3.7: 1/9 journals English Washington, D.C.: Federal Works Agency, U.S. Housing Authority: For sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O. Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Works Progress Administration Housing Publications United States Housing Authority -- Periodicals Public housing -- United States -- Periodicals Public Housing: Weekly News from American Communities Abolishing Slums and Building Low-Rent Housing October 10, 1939 text Public Housing: Weekly News from American Communities Abolishing Slums and Building Low-Rent Housing October 10, 1939 1939 2019 true xt7c862bcb91 section xt7c862bcb91 . A .J’. 3 ‘ .
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Vol.1, No.9 Federal Works Agency, U. 8. Housing Authority —- Nathan Straus, Administrator October to, 1939
———————__“______—_—___

0 C O I
Te“ M11110" New Homes Management Conference in Washington
Needed In 50 Years, Ad I. i T f P bi
Architects Estimate vocates oca reatment 0 r0 ems
Public housing problems received Public housing management prob- than those currently accepted by fam-
prominent attention at the seventy— lems can best be solved by local ofii- ilies of substantially higher incomes.”
first convention of the American In— cials, and local conditions should A balance should be struck between
stitute of Architects held in Wash- strongly influence final decisions. the ideal and the practical treatment
. 7 .

ington September 25—28 Citing a These COIlClUSIOnS were reached by of management problems, and the

’ ‘ . .
need for 10 000 000 new homes over the Management Program Conference local authority should be given the

) ! . . . . . . . .
a 50-year period the Institute’s com— held in Washington, September 27— priVilege of exercismg its Judgment.
, . .

mittee on housing emphasized the 29, where 61 prOJect managers, rep- The resolution was adopted and ap—
necessity for general reform in the resentatives of local authorities, and plied to all recommendations made
building industry and backed the Fed— USHA officials exchanged ideas and during the conference.

D . . .
eral inquiry into building “rackets I: offered recommendations for a gen— The discuss10ns of the first morn-
. c ' . t . .
. The housing committee report eral management policy. . ing concerned rent differentials and
stated that “As things now stand Delegates were selected as chair— schedules. It was agreed that the
7 7 u .

‘free enterprise’ has managed in vari— men and the group discussed prob- USHA program should prOVide for

’ ous ways to block reductibns in cost lems candidly, in the light of actual families in the lowest income group,

1 as well as many possible improve— experience. not those in the highest bracket of the
ments n Keynote of the conference was low-income group. Project rents,

Other committee resolutions put the struck Thursday, in the afternoon the conference agreed, should be

Institute on record as favoring the session, by a resolution pointing out roughly equivalent to those now paid

differential renting principle for pub- the impracticability of “stipulating for substandard housing. This was
D .
lic housing projects stressed the Utoplan standards or even better (See MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE on p. 2)
’

value of broad city—planning data as

ored collection and publication by a _« E ,, i s géfii 22%; :f I. 5;: 411,, ,
3 l- 5’?" *u“42'3“) §“:-L'::é5”:‘f:r‘ 3 ME. f“ .

Government agency of all extant f: {a M ”I?” e , 5;, .3, , J ,
housing data- Housing training in- I 2.... wai-T'y. 1 ' “ : i
stitutes for architects, to be located W; , WMfiW«j I . J's
in various parts of the country, were , 3 gig? ‘ '23:“ g u. is A
likewise approved. gs‘g} % ’1‘ » ' fig - 7

. . . M a ., >5 .

The committee described deSirable its/4,3. . \giw - (>15 85' . gar; a ‘W if/m

. . . “i ' -. in." t]: 1342;.7".‘1‘4322-‘3xujl' '4‘ , 5,; "
public housmg as “of a Spartan Sln’l— , ., >52 \, g = ,_ g i t , 53:5,] ; /
plicity, yet well organized and attrac- » “ _ "ID’, ,e‘flm ' van-“DIE ‘3" (,3:

' ‘ ' ' ' U 1 H i Q '..’~" I 'v 4. I
tive in grouping and setting.” On the gear; . a ,, “W \4522 ("I 3,;
prophesied that such dwellings would z%~5“‘%5, ’ T £5 - "
not result in “humbling of spirit, loss 1 . 1.»: . WM , “1,, 5:: i... .

, of courage or pride” on the part of "F 3; ’ M 5 i: .
. tenants. . . . . .
O 700 members attended tO- Warren Jay Vinton, Chief Economist and Planning Officer of USHA, addresses Management Program Conference in
ver _ . ’ Washington. Facing the camera from left to right are Carl L. Bradt, Director-Secretary of the Detroit Housing Com-
gether Wlth architects from Canada, mission; C. F. Palmer, Chairman of the Housing Authority of the City of Atlanta, (321.; John M. Cannody, Federal Works
India, Sweden, and Venezuela. Agency Administrator; Nathan Straus,USHA Administrator; and Mr. Vinton.
1

 it. ‘5: .. ., W: a... .. awryxfiti‘xi‘ - .g .
Housmg Cost Variations Philadelphia Seeks New Homes 2,500 in San FranCISco
Measured and Analyzed For 1,500 Families Living See PrOJect Dedicated

111 a recently published study, (Dif- on Site Of PTOJeCt That public housing holds dramatic
ferentials in H 0u8i7f9 00858, National Relocation of 1,500 families now interest for-the people of San Fran— . ‘
Bflureau of Economic Research; Sept. living on the site of a proposed $8; ClSCO was ev1denced when, on Septem-
14, 1939; New York City), DaVid L. 136,000 low-rent housing project in ber 17, approxunately 2,500 persons
.Wicke-ns has attempted to. measure Philadelphia has been undertaken by attended the dedication ceremonies of
interCity and regional cost differences the Philadelphia Housing Authority. the San FranCisco Housmg Author-
and to analyze the factors influencnig Various social welfare agencies, ity’s second low—rent housmgprOJect.
SUCh variations. Wlththe 1930 06% business groups, and real estate offices Mayor Angelo J' 30531 broke
sue and 195:4 Fmanczdl Survey of are cooperating with the authority in ground for the new project, opening
Urban H ousmg as f)“ haSIS’ the author conducting a survey of all available the ceremonies participated m by
has presented statistical eVidence to tenement vacancies suitable for re- other City offic1als, Civic leaders, and
shoiv that proportionate differentials housing these low—income families members of the housmg authority.
“1 ious1ng V3“ ues among Cl ies re- forced to vacate. Also, a house—to- .
mained “fairly constant” during the house canvass is being made on the M t C f
interval between these two enumera- site, to ascertain the number of per— anacgefhend f . on elrence
tions. _ _ . sons in each family, the number of . ( ontmue .lomp' )

The study is a considerable contri— rooms they Will require, what rents considered more des1rable than deter—
bution to the rapidly increasmg vol— they can pay, and where the wage- mining rentals on the bas1s of income.
uni?1 oi literature on hogsgigbangl, as earners are employed. Th3 Wfdélesdagt afternoon fsess10n
suc , eserves serious s u y y ose was evo e o iscuss10ns 0 man—
interested in the problems of housing mum tenant income limits. It was
costs. Being of timely interest, an parity exists between I‘GgiOhS Oh the agreed that, in general, local authori—
analysis of this nature can be used to basis 'Of size 0f population. In cities ties should set maximum income lim-
advantage by local housing authori— With a population 0f 100,000 and its for admission substantially lower ‘
ties as a basis for further investiga— over, the average value Of all dwell— than the statutory limits of 5 and 6
tion of local construction costs. ings, bOth owner— and tenant—occu— times the rent. The question as to

The author attributes differentials pied, is estimated at $8,312 in the whether tenants Whose incomes were . ‘
in residential values within a locality Middle Atlantic Region and $3,926 in increased after admission to the proj-
to variations in age, type of struc- the East SOUth Central Region. ect should be forced to vacate 01'
ture, materials used, facilities pro- Wide variations in residential V31" should be allowed a margin of 20 per-
vided, and in land values. Regional ues can also be found to exist between cent above the admission maximum,
differences reflect “underlying eco- cities 0f different size ih the same re— gave rise to serious debate. Finally,
nomic, social, and physical differences gion. In the Middle Atlantic States, it was recommended that the legal
arising from climate, unequal natural for instance, the average value per maximum for admission should re—
resources, varying degrees of indus- dwelling unit in all cities With 100:000 main the maximum for continued
trial and agricultural development, population 01' over is 28 percent occupancy.
differences in income, and the extent higher than the average value for all In order to assure compliance with
of urbanization, as well as local cus— units in cities having a population Of maximum requirements under the
toms and traditions.” 5’000 to 10’000' Similarly, in the United States Housing Act, it was

Included in this study are a num- East SQUth Central States average agreed that the income status of
ber of tables showing the regional reSidential values m the one Clty'swe every tenant should be reexamined
differences in both values and rents gig]? is 37 percent larger than in the every 12 months. When a tenant be—
of nofnfatrm rtll‘fvelliiégst, akaOIEingtfio O F5331; the country as a whole, the comes iliieliggfibleid tlhrough increased
Size 0 c1 y. ‘iese a a, ase on e value of owned homes in 1930 aver— income,' e s on e given a reason-
1900 Census, ieveal that the Middle aged $5,833, about one—third more able period of time to vacate. ' .
Atlantic States have the most expen- than rented homes, which averaged During Thursdays discuss1ons,.it
s1ve res1dential areas, With an aver- $4,347. was agreed that,. Within the limits
age value for all houses of $7,205, and A similar pattern of geographic established, dwellings should be as-
the East South Central States the and city—size differences can be found Signed on the basis of housing the
least expenSive, With an average in the rental values of tenant-occu- largest number of persons.
value of $2,712. The average resi— pied homes. The average monthly Most important conclusion reached
dential value for the latter region is rent for all cities in the Middle At— at the Friday sessions was to the ef— . ‘
only 54 percent of the national aver— lantic States amounted to $39.66 as feet that tenants should receive only
age as compared to 143 percent for compared to only $15.69 for the East such management services as they
the former region. A similar dis- South Central States. cannot perform for themselves.

2

 / . ‘ ‘W
6d * '_ ’ m“ : i f , 3’ of Slums Launched
itic : i ll ,3 i at Conference
an- C C all . We “9' i . . .
am- , ¢ ,,, , 97% We , “weak 32,9 w The launchlng' of an immedrate
ons . " V1,: ‘5 eff , State—Wide campaign for elimination
; 0f 1 , ‘. my“ ”fix” g; * ” a??? of slums and. construction of low—rent
act. , . , , ,_., tWa.‘ 4%, Indiana. Counc1l of Housmg Authori-
3k e :7» :’ - 33:733‘ a? - ties at its first annual conference in
- . r 1 .-; ' taffsrvi , y it” Indianapolis, September 26.
mg . _ a airline % ‘7 . ” /// ’ Th d f t' l t' 't "
by _ , , i téiflipfl a} . I‘l/w x e nee or con inuec ac 1V1 3 on
. 5 ,1 ' a, ‘rwfgkw a, “ny . ities in Indiana was stressed by Jacob
' > .. . i‘zféggig, . 4,9 $4?" N Crane, Assistant Administrator of
. . V ’ ‘ ' Zita???" ~ ffiéfiéric’ I the USHA principal speaker at the
. = .. {afiaeefw dosmg sesswn of the Conference-
'er- . . . . . . said, “faces the most serious housing
' USI‘IA Administrator Nathan Straus (second from left) studies plans for Reading, Pa., project With John T. Egan, USHA h l: - 't h. t . . . . U 1
ne. Regional Director, Mayor Stump, and James Mast, Chairman of the Reading Housing Authority. S 01' age 111 1 S .ls ory n ess
ion all of the author1tat1ve guesses are
-_ . . . wrong, the European war, by rais—
LXI Utlhty Rate Reductions ° ' ing interest rates and construction
:3: Lowerin Pro'ect Rents Architects Of Natlon costs, will even more severely retard
im— g J Honor Nathan Straus private residential construction. . . .
ver ‘ Adequate shelter at the lowest rent The Government—aided USHA pro-
31 6 in the Nation’s history has been The American Institute of Ar- gram . . . becomesamajor factor in
to made available to low—income families ChitECtS, at its Washington 0011- American preparation against the im-
ere . . in USHA-aided housing projects ference, elected Nathan Straus, pact of European War'upon American
'oj- through construction and mainte- USHAAdministrator, an honorary 90011011010 and 500131 We”
01. nance economies, supplemented by member. Citing him as “a philan- The conference featured round—
>er- 'USHA and local annual contributions. thropist, Statesman, author, and table diSCUSSiODS covering legal aS~
1m, As a result, utility charges have be- business executive,” the Conven- pects of public housing, planning and
lly, come a much larger factor in total tion praised Mr. Straus’ service in construction, local authority admin-
gal rent than ever before, and savings behalf of low-cost housmg, slum 1stration and management, and rural
re— which may be effected through reduc— clearance, public parks, and high- housing needs in Indiana.
led tions in gas and electricity rates at- way-accident prevention. ' Carl Henry Monsees, director of
tain added significance. —-———-—-—-————-— field service for the National Asso-
ith At the same time, the project type ciation of Housing Oflficials, which
the of housing guarantees to the utility Savings to tenants are illustrated conducted the Indiana Conference,
vas companies (either private or munic- by four examples, based on projects declared that the development of an
of ipal) many advantages which are actually under construction. The fol- intelligent low-cost housing program
led strong inducements toward lowering lowing table shows the section of the should be related to community
b e_ the rates. Large-scale buying means country in which the projects are 10- planning. _ _ ”
sed reduced distribution costS, ellmlna— cated; the total monthly cost to the . The 10031 housing authorlty, he
on— tion of collection losses (the local tenant of fuel and energy for refrjg- said, ishould be tied to. a city plan '
housing authority guarantees pay— eration,‘lighting, and cooking (in- commissmn 01" organization. It
. t ment), lOWeI‘ collection costs, and the cluded in his monthly rent) ; and the Sh‘OUId map its program W011 in ad-
-1 acquisition 0f new business without cost of such utility services should the vance, DOt only to reduce slums, bUt
uts advertising charges. Furthermore tenant be forced to pay 'preVailing to protect existing property values
as— the local market for utilities is ex- retail rates. ' ’ wherever possible.”
the panded, since many of the families 1 " The Citizens’ Housing Committee
rehoused in projects were not form— Cosmmeland Costomwlflnd of Indianapolis is mobilizing senti—
1ed . erly consumers of gas and electricity. Seam” fig‘gfi’flfiggfg’gggg) ciE‘Zrehyaitfrpe‘iih ment for a public housing program
ef‘ . . In View of these advantages, utility ___._._ __ —_ for that city. The Committee, in a
nly companies have granted substantial New England-m 553- 02 $6. 69 recent survey, revealed a local short-
1ey rate reductions to USHA-aided ggfigfieggltial:‘ i: (133 2; 3,: age of approximately 4,000 dwellings
projects. West 2 15 4- 14 in the low—rent field.
3
a

 H F ,7
. . ortune Round Table - -
Current Housmg Literature . . Construction Bids
Backs Public Housmg N D. ,
State and local Project um" a .e 0
Low-RENT HOUSING BUILDS ON SOUND “ , authority number $1er to: OPEL?“
MONEY, by Leon H. Keyserliiig, National Slum clearance typifies needs that ‘ g .
' ' ‘ ‘ u o ,, —_———
ég'lénécglgal Revww’ Septembei 1989’ pp. can beSt be nlet by DUbhc aCthD, and BID OPENINGS DEFINITELY SCHEDULED
‘ Analysis of method by which USHA projects are does 1101;. Offer eDOUgh DYOfitS to at' Boston Mass \[ \gqflfl { 8'3 10—? 30
aggnced. Discusses USHA subsuhes and tax exemp- tract private enterprise. Thus F07; gllal'loétenNl.-(_‘IK:_A:::::::! NC—‘diljfijjfl 23,1 “poi/go
tune magazine’s fourth Round Table, dt‘ifiifititf"s9l‘~‘f’;::::::l 3312‘33‘3'159 333. $3233
ARCHITECTURAL SERVICE FOR PUBLIC HOUS— “ , , Hurrisbur’g,rn___ 7 “'84:: _ 200 m 9-39
ING PROJECTS: A SYMPOSIUM or CRITICAL composed of seventeen leaders in in- ' ‘ ’ *
, . o - L t ,K KY—4—1___,..._' r 10—2. :9
gggns, The Octagon, Septembei 1999, pp. dustry, labor, agriculture, finance, £39939 1‘3,” §)V{"_2'1"”"‘+ 23‘; ”251372

“ - ~ - ~ n as; age es, ‘ai..___,_ .A we “.4 610 11— 4‘.

Public housing means new concepts and revised pOlItICS and economlc thOUght! eX" Lowell, NIBSST.,._.___.._i )’l'AS:S~1—1.._Hj 536 10—27-39
scales of values and fees to the architect. presses its approval Of public expen_ McComb, MISS_______.__’ MISS~3+1_.,...+ 90 1044—39

, _ ingenmii _
WHY SLU'M CLEARANCE MAY F-filL. by Al- ditures for slum clearance. Nifigquiifiiisffijii: NIi'§§—§_:_,..Ll mil gig—iii
frcd Rheinstein and Henry 1m Pi'ingle, , , , Pensacola, Fin..-________ FLA~6+1__,.___I 120 10—25—39
Hm‘ e7"s October 1909 r20,_r26 The gioup lesolved that goveln— Peoria 111__,_,_,___,,,___ ILL—Sel—Ruhi 400 10— 9—39

7’ ’ ‘3 ,pp. 0 ’3 ' . . Peoria'ni - 'ILDH i 606 10— 9439

Bun-em. we must be exercised in management. nient expenditure in general should ’ 1
site selection, and construction costs, it" public hous— - - Ponce, P. R__.______i_,, PRe141__-__._.+ 300 lO—24v39
,ngis to continue, be supplementary to private 111VeSt- Tampa, Fla FLA—3—l—l(___i 184 10—25-39

. . P. ‘t Ii
CANADA’S HOUSING SITUATION, by Horace ment and enterprise, but 11: also Zanesville, Oiuo_,_____._ 0HI81—0—1___._' 324 10—26739
L. Seymour, The Canadian Engineer, July stated; “In our opinion government ————-—+——
11, 1939, pp. 4—5. . . TENTATIVE SCHEDULE or BID OPENINGSI
. , . expenditure in a free economy should
' Remedying Canada 5 linusmg shortageuvould result . _ __—_—,—-—-—-
Least bmldmg boom and m a decrease m unemploy- meet generally recognized SOCIal itllgghenlyC£,,\Pa]___,___x Renews"! 310 11— 8—33
- 8 my ’ai‘ ,f‘. _,_.,,‘ ilJJ~1,_,...,,i 12F 11— "—3
needs that cannot clearly be met by fittiautanaww' GA~1(‘r3_.___....l «34’ 11— $739
SWEDISH HOUSING POLICY, by Alf Joliann— . . . . Atlantic Cir.y,N..I,__._. NJ—1:l~l.,.__.-i 375 11— 3739
so], and Waldemar Svensson. The Royal private enterprise, but Within the Butte, Mont__--......__ MONTaH... 22.5 11+ 7439
§\V,ed11891§900gmissi011. New YOI'k World’s limits that the economy can afford.” gunmen, N. J _‘ NJ710—1.-_____ 275 11—1—39
all“ . ) . . . . ary, In(l___,-.____.__,.5 IND+11~LUH 30.r ll— (—39
. ,. 1p , , ,. . . Noting a serious hous1ng need all Great Falls, ionnt___._. , .VI()N’I‘—2vl,._, in? 11— «3-39
A blief account of the Goveinments aid in public , .. i n T ~7.7 . _ .7 (
. . llaitford. Conn..,.,,..,,, CORR .3 1 ___ 11h 11 () 3)
housmg and home ownershm over the country, the Round Table re— Knoxville, Teuu_._,__, l TENNeisrxw.‘ 200 n- 1739
COOPERATIVE HOUSING IN SWEDEN, by Ulla ported that “merely to hold our own,” gaurlel,Miss__,6____-_... iéIISS—2fl“... 125 11— 9—39
' ‘ ' ,v . ‘an Francisco, aliffi.” A 1—1—2—l{__, 472 10—31—39
Aim} Th? Royal-SwedISh 99111111155101” Ne“ we need 525 000 new units annually. San Juan, P. R________ PR~2—1---___,_ 420 11— 8430
101k Worlds Fail 1989. to pp. . _ ’ Savannah, Gam GA,2,2________ 480 11_ 9,39
Records the achievements of the cooperative move. Housmg cost was regarded by the Tampa, Flaw ELM—2..-- i 320 11— 8739
' h c . -
mm ‘“ WM“ Round Table as the most serious 1Tb , 11 Bad , db t w a t”
FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE NEW YORK . . - .- .9” ‘3 “5.“ ya ‘ 33’ pen" . e We“? 1 a V” 15mg
, - . (l . \I it bd h 11
CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY—1938,New York, pl Oblen‘l‘ confl onting Ameiican plan $9,,213,2?zgg’ggdegu‘;€§,°sc,,'ggmg,,”Dame S 0‘” ”6
1939. 35 pp. ners. Whether America Wlll expe—

An account of one year‘s operation of First Houses, rience a, hOLlSlll recover d9 )ends ' '
Williamsburg, and Harlem River Houses, and a sum- g y, I Constructlon Report AnalYSIS
mary of the plans and construction data of Queens- upon Whether we can reduce the COSt
bridge and Red Hook. Selection of sites, construction, . ,, .
management, demolition and rehousing, finances, and Of housmg. During the week ended September
legislation are the main subjects covered by the . . . . 0 .
report. POinting out that private housmg 29, two new prOJects were added to
CLEARING SLUMS IN PHILADELPHIA: FIRST might well benefit from apublic hous— those under construction. (See ta—
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PHILADELPHIA in r0 ram the Round Table stated' ble The addition of the new )r0'-
HOUSING AUTHORITY. Philadelphia, 1939. a g p. g ’ . . . ') . . . 1. J
34 pp, British experience Indicates that cots—326 dwelling units in Washing-

The justification for, and the present and future slum clearance by government sub— ton, D. C., and 216 units in Phenix
program, of the authority. . . . . .

A R Sidy can serve to stimulate and eX— City, Ala—caused a slight increase
- NNUAL EPORT OF THE CITIZENS’ HOUSING .- _ ' - . - . . -

COUNCIL or New YORK, MAY 1’ 1938 T0 pand the private housmg industiy, in the 'aveiage net constiuction cost
Al’RIL 30, 1939. New York, June 1939. encouraging 1t to build cheap houses per unit for the country, and a frac-
Mm‘eographed’ 26 m" for income groups above the slum tional decline in the average over—all

A condensed summary 0[ the second year's activi- u ' '

ties of the Council. level. cost of new housmg per unit.
Weekly Construction Report
em Week ended Week ended Percentage
Sept. 29, 1939 Sept. 22, 1939 change
Number of projects under construction____ ,, 99 97 +2.06
Number of dwellings under construction____,,,.,. 42,182 41,640 +1.30
Total estimated over-all cost1 of new housing,,,.,, , , ._ $195,399,000 $192,977,000 +1.26
Average over-all cost1 of new housing per unit , $4,632 $4,634 +0.04
Average net construction cost 2 per unit,-,_______,_,--__,.,.,.,. _, , WW $2,910 $2,907 +0.10
—___.___________—___—____———_
1 Includes: (a) Building the house, including structural costs and plumbing, heating, and electrical installation; (b) dwelling equip—
ment, architects’ fees, local administrative expenses, financial charges during construction, and contingency expenses; (0) land for .
present development; (cl) nondwelling facilities.
'-‘ The cost of building the house, including structural, plumbing, heating, and electrical costs.
Publication is approved by the Director, Bureau of the Budget. as required by rule ‘12 of the Joint Committee on Printing.
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. Subscription price $1 domestic, foreign $1.80 per year. Single copies, 5 cents.
Material for PUBLIC HOUSING Should be addressed to Informational Service Division, U. S, Housing Authority, Washington, D. C.
V, 'r. V: 4 u. 5. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 18125]
2‘13: ,. .» ’ _ L, . "if.“ . f