The Detroit times., 1917-02-21
HEALTH OF
CITY WILL
Be GUARDED
Detroit Has Code For
First Time I'm Its
History
DWELLINGS MUST
BE MADE SANITARY
Rule Provides Plans
Will Be Examined
BY Health Dept.

Dy IACdhttt DCPts
In the 2ls years OF IT'S existence
Detroit has never had a health code
until today. Now II has one that q
expected 20 reduce the death rate
very materially. IL has 90 do large
~ with housing reforms and aims
20 make II impossible for any part
OF the population 20 live in death
or disease traps
The code which Is entitled. Code
Of Regulations for the Control OF
the Building. Occupancy and Main
,cnAnce of Dwellings in the City of
Detroit" Is booklet OF 81 pages
II Was adopted by the Board OF
Health on May 10. 1916. but has
been modified and amended from
time 20 time until IL was ready 20
put into force and was made pub
llc Wednesday morning by DIT W
II. Price. health oncer
Recently the death rate IN DE-
,roi' has grown rapidly and an an.
alysis os the causes shows that this
was due To poor housing conditions.
made necessary by the rapid growth
OF the city Modern buildings did
not keep pace with the increase in
population and the thousands %
families which have come 20 Detroit
In the last few years have had 10
accept living rooms that were in.
sanitary and unhehthful In many
cases
This was due 20 the fact that the
Board 81 Health was operating with.
o.. a code Il had power chiefly "a
concern ltself with epidemlcs after
they appeared. bat n had no In.
srect:on Department or powers 70
80, thar living rooms were nads
Or and habitable FOR the population
The result has been that the city
j. full % unlighted and unyentilated
dwelling rooms. The new code will
pct a stop 20 the erection OF such
buildings and IN addition will have
he effect % forcing owners o.
buildings With unlighted and IN
ventilated rooms 20 remodel them
and make them suitable for human
habitation.
There are many hotels with IN
side rooms that must be lighted
aT'ihCislly AZ al hours and there Is
no VENT alton whatever In such
cases windows or skyllgh,s will be
ordered In II g. believed that xher
the city becomes properly ventllat
ed. under the new system. ~
death rate from causes that sun
light and fresh air can cure will BE-
greatly reduced
in the future ~ Will be necessary
FOR architects and builders 20 hav,
the o. K OF the health department
on their plans before they can ~
ahead. In The past. Il has beer
necessary only for them 20 sausfy
the building code. which has beer
amended and changed 40 man,
times that II is generally consid
cred to be OF little value
Because OF the great demand foi
dwellings. old barns. storage houses
and shacks OF all kinds have beer
turned into tenement houses anc
little attention has been given q
sanitary conditions All OF this vii
change nov under the new health
code
This housing code" said Dr
Price. ia neither revolutionary not
radical. II imposes no restriction
which an Intelligent and public splr
tied architect builder or owner
would not naturally comply with o
his own accord. II does. however
control the tricky builder and N,
shyster architect and they need Il
be controlled The code follow
closely the codes as enforced IL
New York and Chicago.
The public naturally would Tx,
10 know what the code does In
word. Il provides that no dwelling
and this term includes all building
In which people live. shall b. erec,
ed that IL not a sanitary buudint
and one that II m for people 20 llv,
in. II must have adequate nEhr
proper ventilation. freedom frou
dampness. rooms OF reasonabI,
size. in a word. be proper habits
ton The code also regulates tn
conditions under which existinl
dwellings may be altered. and con
trolls similarly the circumstance
under which other classes OF build
ings may be converted into dwell
ings II also provides In detail 20
The maintenance OF all eristlnl
dwellings and 10 very limited de
gree provides what might be term o,
the minimum OF Improvement II
the older buildings. many OF whlcl
really ought 10 be torp down"