The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project is a university-chartered research center associated with the Department of History of The George Washington University |
Washington Housing AuthorityWashington,
D.C., had a long history of forcing African Americans
to live in little square shacks wedged in between the back
sides of homes of white Washingtonians. Eleanor Roosevelt
became an unyielding advocate to end this housing discrimination
in the District of Columbia. As honorary president of
the
Washington Committee on Housing, ER promoted its activities
and used her press conferences, "My Day" columns,
and public lectures to hammer away at the unacceptable
housing
situation of African American Washingtonians. ER not only
addressed the existing situation but envisioned and worked
for better alternatives. Finally, on June 12, 1934 the
District of Columbia Alley Dwelling Act was passed, establishing
the Washington Housing Authority as an independent agency.
The WHA focused on eliminating slum housing in alleys
near
the Capitol and promoted quality, affordable housing. The
WHA was redesignated the National Capital Housing Authority
in 1943. Sources:Beasley, Maurine, Holly C. Schulman and Henry R. Beasley, eds. The Eleanor Roosevelt Encyclopedia. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2001, 137-8. Cook, Blanche Wiesen. Eleanor Roosevelt: Volume Two, 1933-1938. New York: Penguin Books, 1999, 348. "Legends in the Law: A Conversation with Charles A. Horsky." Bar Report. August/September 1996. Internet on-line. Available From http://www.dcbar.org/about_bar/Charlesa.html. Records of the National Capital Housing Authority. History. Internet on-line. Available From http://www.nara.gov/guide/rg302.html. |