About: Alley Dwelling Authority

The Alley Dwelling Authority was a government funded program that sought to help with the development of alley dwellings in Washington, D.C. Alleys in Washington suffered from a variety of problems, most prominently overpopulation and poverty that increased rapidly over the 1800s, particularly in Foggy Bottom. In 1822, the neighborhood had an estimated forty households with a majority of skilled workers; however, by 1860 there were around 175 households. This drastic change yielded the percentage of skilled workers and unskilled workers to fluctuate. This suggests that there was a boom in the economy and a drastic change in the need for factory hands. This change was beneficial because it created greater numbers to flock into these new areas of Foggy Bottom, then forcing groups like the Al