The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-21
GALL FOR HOUSES
ALL OYER STATE
Homes at Rentals of S18 to
S25 a Month Are in Special
Demand.
TO STIMULATE BUILDING
Reconstruction Committee Is
Making Survey in Many
Large Cities.

The housing problem is not by any
means confined to the greater city. There
Is scarcity OF apartments in most
! cities and many towns. and from all
| parts OF the State comes the admission
OF an urgent need for homes that will
rent for from SIS to SIS n month. Futher-
more, number OF cities, some OF them
small, confess that they have their
''slums." the existence of which Is laid
to bad sanitation and insufficient sew err
age provisions. These facts have been
obtained by the housing committee OF
the Governors Reconstruction Commits
sion. which Ia making a survey of hous-
ing conditions on thirty-three blocks In
the greater city and Is prosecuting in
restigations along similar lines in up
state municipalities.
The needs, therefore, of increased
housing facilities have convinced the
members OF the commission engaged in
the work OF remedying conditions that
something must be done first to stimu-
late building. According to Mrs. Henry
Moskowitz. secretary of the commission,
plans to bring this about are taking a
clear and definite shape" The housing
committee Is being assisted in formulat-
Ing these plans by its advisory commit
tee. which Is composed OF practical men.
none Of whom, Mrs. Moskovitz said, is
given to theorizing. The plans cannot
Re made public, she added, until the sur
vey has been completed and all possible
Information has been obtained.
The survey is being made IN upstate
cities through the aid of Chambers of
Commerce and local committees. The
@t,,-
junction with the old Council OF Ma
tional Defence and womens clubs. Re-
turns are coming In in response to ques-
tionnaires which have been sent ont.
TN reply to the question. is there a
dearth OF inexpensive housing" Mrs.
Moskowitz said yesterday. I'VE have
been informed that there is the greatest
need for places renting for from SIS to
S25 month. We have received several re-
ports declaring that this town needs 100
houses where homes can be rented for
from $50 to s35 a month 1t is a great
indication OF dearth of housing in gen.
eral for tenants on small salaries.
I'VE have been much impressed by the
information that We are getting showing
that nearly every city and many large
towns have so-called Stun district.
And in practically all cases the causes
for the slums are given as bad SANTA
ton and insufficient sewerage This Is
another very important matter about
which our commission will have some
thing to say in the way OF recommends
ton later on"
The housing committee. members of
the committee on general welfare of the
Board OF Aldermen and the Mayors
committee on rent profteering. of which
Nathan Hirsch is chairman. will meet
to-day to talk over the situation and
plan for coordination of activities. The
session will take place In Room 1920
Municipal Building. headquarters of the
Mayors committee.
Mr.. Hirsch said last night: "Hun-
dreds OF tenants have stated TO the com.
mittee that II was utterly impossible to
obtain any housing in Greater New York
On the other hand We have reports from
certain landlords that they have some
vacancies. With these facts in view and
feeling that every one desires to cooper
ate with us in this serious situation. we
ask landlords and agents in greater New
York who have low priced apartments
for rent to communicate with our COM
nittee at once, giving us the location.
number of rooms and price asked for
same. This will help the situation ma
teria,ly."