The sun., 1918-07-07


me FIVE boroughs comprising the city OF
New York. judging from the results Of a
.uryey OF the situation. just made by
mo Building Industries of New York,
.,d turned over to the Government q.
total OF 4,3i4.310 square feet of
,acan, warehouse space was found In
tho whole city, Of which the amount
available in Manhattan, including prop
!. sr,iss which would be made available
| ,brou7h alterations, totalied 3,425,746
ruare feet In BIT ooklyn there Is but
SiSss5 square feet. including 100000
.olare feet contained in Ave vacant
breveries There is practically no avail
ohle warehouse space in The Bronx,
Queens or Richmond.
These figures are made more startling
nv comparison with a single operation
which the Government has Undertaken
adjacent to the Bush Terminal In Brook
i'm. The contents OF this proposed ware
house will aggregate 100000 square
feet, more than two times the area avail
able in the whole city. which has un-
doubtedly shrunk since the statistics
we're gathered.
Housing facilities. while anything but
plentiful are better In making the sur
yev $50 a month vas fixed as a ma XII
mum rental to be expected of industrial
workers, and only such apartments as
we're available at or under this figure
we're recorded TIE total for the five
boroughs amount' to 1884 vacant
apartments. In Ms nhattan, 1923 apart
ments under $50 monthly rental were
ftund: in Brooklyn 3,34l. of which 2, 800
were rentable at less than $25 a month.
In Queens and The Bronx there were
practically no vacancies and nothing
H. Richmond. except that there are
large number OF old fashioned houses
which could be altered into two or three
family dwellings though at considera-
bic expense.
The subject of finding enough ware
house space and housing accommoda-
tons has given the Government and cit
ltns Of New York much concern. 1t
was to determine as nearly as possible
the facts and to furnish this Information
70 the Government that the Building
Industries OF New York made the sur
vey. In its efforts II was aided in Mar
haitian by the Real Estate Board of New
York. in Brooklyn by the Brooklyn
Board OF Rel Estate Brokers. Brooklyn
Chamber OF Commerce and Brooklyn
Chapter OF the American Institute Of
Architects, In The Bronx by the Bureau
o, Buildings of the Borough of the
Bronx, in Queens by the Chamber Of
Commerce of the Borough of Queens and
in Richmond by the Staten Island Cham
Der OF Commerce.
The underlying motives for making the
survey as stated in the report were
First. To furnish the Government with
Information as to the amount of housing
.. the character herein specified. In
frequent conferences with various de-
partments of the Government 1t became
apparent that this information was ur-
gently needed SO that the Government
might have accurate information as to
what was available for industrial work.
ers enga ged in the production Of war
material.
Second. To furnish data as to housing
required in New York to keep pace with
the growth Of the population.
Third. To locate space available for
warehousing and storage use to meet the
nsistent demand of the Government for
various phases Of its work in carrying
OF the war.
The report which has just come from
the press has been forwarded to the
helds of departments. boards and COM
mttees Of the United States Government
and to other Federal and local bodies
70 whom the information might be OF
interest
The report emphasizes the fact that
wing to the reduction of construction OF
ilntments and apartments in 1917. and
:-e still more marked shrinkage in the
Hrst half of 1918. not only Is there seri-
o.s shortage of existing housing. but
mat the city is now building less than
- per cent. of the requirements for nor
nal times. This appears from the gen.
tral conclusions OF the survey in which
he following interesting facts are pre-
sented:
According TO the records Of the Ten
ement House Department of the City OF
New York. it Is shown that the total
number OF apartments existing on jan
l.ry |. 1918. were 9s9,766. 1t can be
.aI-ly assumed that of this total so per
cent. are apartments renting from $50
or less per month. Applying the average
'a.e of four occupants per apartment.
which is the factor used by the Tene-
ment House Department. the total ac-
commOdations in the city of New York
as Of January I, 1918. provided for
3leI2iS persons. On the other hand.
The normal increase in population based
IN the years 1913 to 1916 inclusive,
shows an average annual growth of APP
proXimatey 1O7, 900. OF this increase
il can be reasonably assumed that IS
reT cent. or approximately $4,000. are
apartment dwellers, and that OF this
10000. so per cent, or $4,000. pay rem
'als of $50 or less per month. Apply
'nS the same factor OF four occupants
10 an apartment. the normal increase
IN population in New York city will re-
cure, at the lowest calculation. approx
.mately $4,000 new housekeeping units
annually,
The new apartment units built dur
Ing the past FIVE years. assuming the
same so per cent. OF the total as avail
to.t At a rental Of $50 a month. or less.
were as follows: 1913, 22,430; 1914,
LEGO 1915, 1888, and 1916. 17,0S7
The foregoing totals represent the
APARTMENTS actually constructed and
'or which certificates of occupancy
were granted by the Tenement House
Department.
Plans filed for 1917. using the same
:" per cent as covering apartments
renting for $50 or less per month. rep
resents 1859 units. For the first six
months OF 1918, owing to the further
material decrease in construction. as
compared with 1917. plans filed provide
10Y approximately 1000 apartments at
rentals OF $50 per month or less.
Ihls average, therefore, shows that
curing the years 1913 to 1915 inclusive
only sufficient new apartments were
provided to accommodate the normal
Increase in population. and that In 1917
I'oVision was made for only 30 per
cent OF the normal requirements.
Based on the figures for the first
nah Of 1913 less than rs per cent, OF
me requirements for the normal growth
Of the population are now being con-
Nructed, and this statement is based
OIL the reports OF plans filed and not oil
work actually under construction"