Pioneer press. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1882-19??, 1916-01-15
WORK
OF URBAN LEAGUE
Committee on Better Homes
Makes Able Report.
PLAN TO REDUCE N.GH RENTS

investigation by National Organization
and Local Affiliated Codes In New
Tor': C!tI fcvcaIs Conditions Which
Call For immediate Rcncdy-Over-
crowded ho,ocs Moral Issue.
New loIk.-Ihc recent report on the
investigation of housing conditions
among the colorcu people OF Harlem
which WAS made by the National
League OH Urban Conditions is BEGIN
ming to bear tangible results. The
question of providing proper housing
conditions III this section has been
made the subject Of Il series Of confer
eHccS between representatives of the
Advisory Council Of Real Estate Inter
ests, the City und Suburban Homes
company, the National League on Ur
ban Conditions and the Property Own
crS' Improvement corporation.
IhcSc meetings We're attended bv
prominent citizens who have become
interested in the welfare Of the t.oIorc,l
people of the city OF New York. A
number OF model apartment houses are
TO be erected in Harlem rs Il inrlIi0rial
TO the late l.. Il. L. Gould. prCSit>,nt Of
the City and Suburan Homes company.
who was 80 largely interested in the
phippS houses and the TuSkegce and
hampton apartment houses in th,.
West SlXticth street district The
houses In Harlem are to be constructed
with the IDEA in mind OF correcting
some Of til" conditions which were cx-
posed by tIc Urban league In its re-
port.
Some Of the facts as outlined III the
report are as follows: Only - per cent
or cOiOrcd families Of Harlem live in
three and four room apartments. while
II per cent live in five and six room
and + per cent in seven and ci.l!' room
apartments. These families have an
average income Of :19l yearly and pay
S2Sl, or 3G per cent uf their income.
FOR rent. or l3:; apartments in the
same character of houses occupied by
German Jews. III nci9lIbpring districts.
90 per cent arc three ana four room
apartments, and these tenants pay only
S2OI yearly for rent from an average
income much larger than that received
by cOlOred people.
In G2 per cent Of the aDartmcnts Oc-
cupicd by the cUlOrcd fninilics lodycr%
constitute 81 per cent Of the total pop
uatiOn. These lodIers arc taken into
homes because Of the necessity TO pay
high rents. There Is Il lDd -iny pOlu-
latiun in Harlem alone Vf l1.U;D per
sonS, while the increase in Nero pop
ulati"n III New York city IS about 3.UOO
persons 81 year
III an investigation by the Nationl
League on Urban Conditions anon:
Negroes fl an area OF about twenty.
three blocks, between One Hundred
and FOrtysecond and One IIuudrch
and Thirty-nrst streets, there were -,
apartments and il3 private houses o..
cupicd by Negroes, with but per cc:I,
Of tho totaI number Of residents III t'ic
district of white cXtrHcliOn Nh"a
these houses were opened I" rDlyl'.N
people the rents in"rcH2od per nipuih
from 81 to - per apartment.
It IS estimated HAT the tor9I nu'n,rr
Of Negroes il Harlem is a'.u.t 13UE.
A8 has beer cited above. t,Icv n,r =,
ready payiu" rents which ;rv ,..ogii
tHnt. compared with their lilifcI I'll
comes. ana thCr cannot pay >Hil li.n
or rents that would be expected IL bC;.
ter services were given in these houses.
The fact that the houses u,clu,icI by
cO'Orcd people return good revenues Is
Sh he t,,,