 In 1954, Congress appropriated $550,000 ($ in dollars) to finish the Receiving Home for Children.But the city refused to spend the money, arguing that the structure had so deteriorated since 1949 that it should be condemned and a far greater sum of money spent on building a much larger facility elsewhere.This meant the Receiving Home for Children continued to be used, and continued to provide substandard housing and care for its wards.