The Denver star., 1916-01-15
.BENEFICENT WORK
OF URBAN LEAGUE
Committee on Better Homes
Makes Able Report.
PLAN TO REDUCE HIGH RENTS
Investigation by National Organization
and Local Affiliated Bodies In New
York City Reveals Conditions Which
Call For Immediate Remedy-over-
crowded Homes Moral Issue.


Call For Immediate Remedy-over-
crowded Homes a Moral Issue.
! New York. The recent report on the
investigation of housing conditions
among the colored people Of Harlem
! which was made by the National
League on Urban Conditions is begin
ming to bear tangible results. The
question of providing PROPER housing
conditions in this section has been
made the subject of a series of confer
ences between representatives of the
Advisory Council of Real Estate Inter
estS, the City and Suburban Homes
company. the National League on Ur-
ban Conditions and the Property own
ers' Improvement corporation.
These meetings We're attended by
prominent citizens who have become
interested in the welfare of the colored
people of the city of New York. A
number Of model apartment houses are
to be erected in Harlem as a memorial
TO the late L.. X. l.. Gould, president of
| the City and Suburan Homes company,
who was so largely interested in the
Phipps houses and the Tuskegee and
Hampton apartment houses in the
West SiXticth street district. The
houses in Harlem are to be constructed
with the idea in mind of correcting
some of the conditions which were eX-
posed by the Urban league in its re-
port.
Some of the facts as outlined i'll the
report are as follows: Only % per cent
of colored families of Harlem live in
three and four room apartments. while
II per cent live in five and six room
and 4 per cent in seven and eight room
apartments. These families have an
average income of $191 yearly and pay
S2S1, or Sc per cent OF their income,
for rent. OF 1:i3 apartments in the
same character of houses occupied by
German Jews. in ncighboring districts.
60 per cent are three and four room
apartments. and these tenants pay only
S2O7 yearly for rent from an average
income much larger than that received
by colored people.
In 62 per cent of the apartments oc-
cupied by the colored families lodgers
constitute 30 per cent OF the tetaI pop
ulation. These dodgers are taken into
homes because of the necessity to pay
high rents. There is a lodging popu-
lation in Harlem alone of 10000 per-
sons, while the increase in Negro pop
ulation in New York city is about 1000
persons Il year
In an investigation by the National
League on Urban Conditions among
| Negroes in an area Of about twenty
three blocks, between One Hundred
and Forty-sccond and One Hundred
and Thirty-tirst streets there were I26
| apartments and 443 private houses oc-
| cupied by Negroes, with but per cent
Of the total number of residents I'm the
district Of white extraction. When
| these houses were opened to colOrcd
people the rents increased per month
! from 81 to So per apartment.
1t is estimated that the total number
| OF Negroes in Harlem is about 10000.
AS has been cited above, they are al
ready paying rents which are exorbi
tant, compared with their limited in
comes, and they cannot pay stilI high
er rents that would be expected IL bet
ter services were given in these houses.
| The fact that the houses occupied by
colored people return good revenues Is
shown by the return on the average
assessed valuation in that district of
I per cent net. The following example
is cited by the National Urban league
| as Indicating that the increase in rent
occurs when white people are succeed
ed by cOIored people.
Twin houses in Harlem were owned
by a single landlord and absolutely
filed with white people. They were
rented at from SIG to $40 per month.
A library was built next to the one
| house and so darkencd its apartments
that it was difficult TO keep them filed
with tenants. even after reducing rents
from Sll to SIT monthly. The owner
decided to rent to colored tenants. and
| the house is now filled with cOlOred
families paying $50 to S24, and there
Is long waiting list Lodgcrs them
selves in this district are required to
pay as high as Sc weekly for rooms.
1t is this question of dodgers which
seriously cndangers the morals OF fam
| lily life in this district
Combined with this feature Is that
Df congestion of population Although
there is no such overcrowling in Har-
| lem as is found on the lower east side.
where laborers seek the cheapest lodg-
ing without regard for comfort, never
| thelesS there are some bad cases of
| congestion in Negro tenements. One
case OF overcrowding was found where
eighteen West Indians were living in
SIX rooms-three married couples. nine
| chlidreh, a grandmother. one lodgcr
and relative.
Ihe committee which is now work
ing out the iih'l plans for the improve
ment or housing in Harlem is com
posed of Cyrus C. Miller. chairman Of
/ the executive committee of the Advls
ory council: Allan Robinson. president
of City and Suburban Home, compapy.
L. IInlI worth