Evening journal., 1920-02-19
CITY POOR ARE
OVERCROWDED
Many Live In Filthy to
Deadly" Condition,
Charities Hear
THIRTY-ONE FAMILIES
ON PENSION LIST

Wilmington rentals are so far beyond
the reach OF the poor OF the city. that
many families are living In conditions
ranging from "nllhy" TO deadly" ac-
cOrdlng TO the report OF Miss D. Ethel
da Mullen. general secretary OF the AS
ISOLATED Charities. TO meeting OF the
Board OF Managers In the Hotel dupont
on Tuesday afternoon. The poor are
overcr0wded because they cannot pos
sibly pay the rent on a whole house.
tdhe said, and there are many families
In poverty as a result OF last years in
iluenza epidemic. which deprived them
OF bread-wlnners. Miss Mullen says:
"Out OF the seventy-flve familes In
our current fle, only eight are living
In houses which could be termed good :
twenty three. fair: the remaining forty
four are reported In various degrees or
undesrabllliy from poor" TO "nlthy."
horrible" "unspeakable" and deadly"
Rentlls range from $50 10 s.. the lat
ter an unfurnlshed room In the Polish
quarter. Overcr0wding has become
necessary because Il ls impossible 30
pay The rent for a whole house.
n fWAAHM AuAAAAAN VI NiANAHNAn AAAAAAA
and four children are occupying three
rooms for which they pay SIS a month
unfurnshed
"A woman. two boys. girl and baby
occupy one furnished room at Sc
week.
An old colored woman IL living
with he> granddaughter In room at
the head OF a dark stairway. As there
Is no hall II Is necessary for other
roomers TO use this as a thoroughfare,
so destroying any semhlance OF privacy
For the privilege OF occupying this
shelter they pay 81 a month.
in a cabin unden Eleventh street
bridge, a woman with her three chill
dren Is existing. Her situation reminds
one OF the shlpwrecked mariner. for
there, on the very edge OF the creek,
she must walk fully a block 10 get
water This hovel rents for s. a month.
And these are American people.
on side street. moi six blocks from
our ONCE. Mrs. r.. her three children
and two dodgers occupy fve-room
house. The roof could scarcely be
called a protection from the weather.
and during The rainy seasons Il be-
comes necessity 10 abandon the kltch-
en-. The landlord refuses 10 do any
repair work. although he receives reg
ularly his si5 rental.
Two Italian families are sharing the
comforts OF n siX-roomed house, the
total rent amounting 70 sis month.
only two rooms In the house are really
habtable. although the twelve children
AF ~. [
escsary 10 overflow into , rest OF
the house which is damp and dark.
"Thcre are many others equally as
bad. and few that are better. and there
seems no way to Improve the situa-
tion. Even az an increase In rent.
better is available, and no ten
and has sufficient temerlty 10 ask for
even necessary repairs. But on the
other hand. even n we disregard en-
tlrely the illness which Is certain TO
result from such miserable housing.
we cannot expect 10 plant In the minds
Df our future citizens any respect for
right living. II Is dlfilcult 10 InstIll
or 10 raise standards
where the possibility OF normal living
Is so remote
Wilmington has had Housing Com
and Housing Surveys during
lhe hast three years. out we seem no
nearer a solution. The cost OF building
Is high. but the expense OF caring FOR
lhe physically and morally weak OF the
coming generation will not be less. |
Which can we best afford?
The Associated Charities has a pen
sion list OF 81 fam les. amounting 10
1850 per month for pensions. This Is !