Pioneer press. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1882-19??, 1916-02-26

and Local Affiliated Bodies In New
York City Reveals Conditions Which
Call For Immediate Remedy-Over.
crowded Homes Moral Issue.
New 1Ork.-Thc recent report on the
investigation Of housing conditions
among the colorcd people Of Harlem
which was made by the National
League on Urban Conditions is begin
ming to bear tangible results .'.,
question of providing proper housing
conditions in this section has been
made the subject of Il 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
crs' Improvement corporation
IneSe meetings were 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 us Il memorial
u. u,
the City and Sunlran Homes company,
who was 80 largely interested in the
IhlppS houses and the TuSkcGcc 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 OK
posed by the Urban league in it's re-
port.
Some OF the facts as outlined in the
report are as follows: Only % per cent
or colorcd 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 eight room
apartments. These families have an
average income Of $791 yearly and pay
$2Sl, or 36 per cent Of their income.
Tor rent. or 1873 apartments in the
same character Of houses OCCUPIED by
German Jews, in ncighDoring districts,
50 per cent are three and four room
apartments, and these tenants pay only
$2O7 yearly for rent from an average
income much larger than that received
by colored people.
In G2 per cent of the apartments oc,
cup1ed by the cOlored families dodgers
constitute 80 per cent Of the total poD-
ulation. These dodgers are taken into
homes because Of the necessity to Day
high rents. There IS Il lodging pOpu-
lation In Harlem alone Of 10000 per
sons, while the increase in Negro pop
ulat1On in New York city is about 1900
persons n 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 second and One Hundred
and Thirty-frst streets, there were 72G
apartments and 443 private houses Oc-
cupied by Negroes. with but per cent
or the total number of residents in the
district Of white extraction. When
these houses were opened to cOlornd
people the rents increased per month
from 81 to 50 per apartment
1t is estimated that the total number
Of Negroes in Harlem is about 10000
AS has been cited above. they arc al
ready paying rents which arc cXorbi-
tant, compared with their limited i'll
comes, and they cannot pay still high
er rents that would be expected if bot
ter services were given in these houses.
The fact that the houses occupied by
colorcd people return good revenues IS
shown by the return on the average
assessed valuation in that district Of
7 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
ell by cOlorcd people
Twin houses in Harlem were owned
by single landlord and absolutely
filed with white people. They were
rented at from SIC to SO Der month
Over the Mark.
hn a, in, hn CT