Evening journal., 1920-01-27
need 100000 FOR
CITY HOMES AT Once

I to make any use Of his property regard
less OF its influence upon the homes OF
his neighbors No residence section Is
safe against the invasion OF shops and
1 factories.
"The costs attendant upon real estate
| transactions are thought by some to be
a hindrance TO building projects. Under
the present practice where land is
, bought, a building constructed and a
mortgage placed, three separate and
distinct title searches must be made
and paid for, and as there are no title
guarantee companies in Delaware,
these title searches are Of no binding
validity.
"There are those who believe that
| the tax rate is a detriment 10 home
building. There are, however. many
American cities with higher rates and
more adequate housing and still others
with lower rates and more critical
housing shortages. a study Of other
cities leads TO TIE conclusion that Inc
tax rate has N3e 10 do with housing
shortage ButsNatever the causes one
thing is clear the housing shortage
in Wilmington is not being met by pri-
vato builders and private investors.
The housing problem must be attacked
by the community.
Housing Corporation Proposed.
"The only solution of the problem Is
the organization OF a housing corpora
ton 10 build homes in Wilmington.
This CORPORATION should be organized
BY the citizens Of Wilmington under
the laws Of the state with a capi,aliza-
ton OF siO0O,O0O. The stock OF the cor
poration should be issued in 500
shares, TO be subscribed primarily by
the merchants and the industries, and
also by the public In general in proper
ton TO the stake Of each in the progress
and welfare OF Wilmington. Dividends
should be limited TO Z per cent. inas-
much as the real return from the in
vestment is 90 be found in more and
better homes. and a growing city.
ut has been sugge5ted that the hous-
ing corporation should enter into an
agreement with the Building Trades
Council. and With each Of the unions
represented In the Council, whereby
strikes and inter-union disputes would
be eliminated by the wOrkmen o. the
housing corporations projects in return
for preferential rights 10 take options
on any Of the houses constructed at the
,veFage cost OF construction. II some
such arrangement can be arrived at
the cost OF construction would be held
at a minimum.
Can Sell for $1,000 TO S3,5OO.
"The housing corporation would de-
vote its main energies iD The Immediate
future TO building standard attractive
low priced homes for Industrial work.
ers. With the economies That can be
effected by The housing corporation in
purchase OF materials. IN construction,
in marketing. and in securing capital at
Z per cent. rate Of interest. u is esii-
mated that a siX-roOm house with bath
and kitchen can be sold for from $1,000
to $500 The lowest priced dwellings
now being erected by private builders
sell from 5000 and $1,000 M. md arc
obviously constructed for the sa'aried
and professional groups. In this field
the private contractors should be en-
couragod 20 continue construction,
while the housing corporation would
take as its aim The building OF the
cheapest possible decent home for lhc
wage Garner These houses should be
rented or sold on a monthly payment
plan.
"The corporation should offer It's SER
vices 20 individuals who desire 60 build I
homes provided those individuals ciih- /
or own lot or have in cash 70 per /
cent Of the cost Of the new house and |
The lot. and where the individual Is In |
a position 10 return TO the corporation /
The amount Of It's advance In monthly |
payments Of not less than 1 per cent. |
per mouth.
"In order 10 prevent spectators from |
stepping in between the housing cor
and the purchasers or renters |
of homes. the corporation should not al |
low one person TO purchase more than /
one Of IFS houses, should manage lis /
own rental properties directly. and |
should continue TO build more houses
as the only guarantee against the pos !
sibillty Of pronteering.
slums of Wilmington.
"Those who know Wilmington know |
the slums OF Wilmington. The condi- I
tions disclosed by the school census |
taken by The Womens Committee Of ]
the Delaware state Council Of Defense, |
health surveys Of Dr. McCombs and Or. |
Terry. and the reports Of conditions /
now comine before the committee on |
rent pronteerlng need no elaboration |
here. All through the heart OF the city |
thousands Of families arc living under .
conditions that are menace 10 them |
and TO the community. In five of the !
more crowded sections 26,7SJ people /
We're found to be living in 2i,27i rooms. |
or more than one person for every /
room in every dwelling. In a section ly- |
ing In the Fourth, sixth and Eighth |
wards. $3.50 people were living in 1856 |
rooms, or at the high rate OF three peo- /
pie for every two rooms OF every home |
in the section.
IN individual houses OF eleven rooms
as high as five and six families were |
found with 2S and 25 people respec- |
lively. Across the Christiana river, in |
the Second ward. there were shacks |
with tide water standing in the cellars |
and even in the first floors Of homes. |
In the Tenth ward ten-ro0m dwelling |
was housing six families Of iG people: |
and an elght-room house four families
OF i5 people. The Eleventh ward was
reported as terribly oyercrowded."