The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-02-24
brownsville, NY, Rents
Take One-Third of Pay
(Continued from Page Ono)

tOVht|tueU from rage One)
err month, with rents varying be-
tween $35 and SIS. This, in spite of
the fact that the average apartment
consists of only three rooms; almost
none are larger than four.
These exceptionally high rents for
workers homes result from but one
factor-the aggression of the land
lords. At every opportunity, rents
were raised. Twelve cases, testing
the rent laws from every minute an
gle, were instigated by Brownsville
landlords who wanted to know just
how far they could go.
Even then they were not satisfied
hundreds Of cases of Brownsville
landlord VS.. Brownsville tenant were
tried in the courts, the landlord seek
ing to gain by law what he could not
sabotage by buster and trickery. If
powerful tenants organization was
not formed in Brownsville in 1922,
that community would be paying still
higher rents today.
No Repairs Made.
And even that organization was I'M
able to force the landlords to make
necessary repairs. OF ten apartments
II visited in the district, seven had
leaking faucets in the kitchens, each
hour wasting more of the taxpayers
money.
Forty-five dollars per month-S15
per room! In spite Of the average
wage, $3S week.
Wages vary considerably in Browns
vile. Some families had an average
wage-income of $40, others $50. 1t
was the latter figure that brought
the average wage up to $3S. But it
must be remembered that few of
those who earn more than $55 week,
are employed all year round. And
many who earn less than $50 week,
are also employed in seasonal indus
tries.
So that while $45 a month must be
paid out for rent all year round, $3.50
wages are not coming in every month
all year round. When the outlay ex-
eeeds the income, pinching results.
They pinch sometimes in Brownsville.
But that's nothing. They learned how
to do that, and grin and bear it, in
the Ghetto.
In Soviet Russia, laws make it inn
possible for gouging landlords to
charge more than 10 per cent Of the
workers wages for rent. The mini
mum is 8 1-2 per cent. Rents average
around and per cent. In America,
and right here in Brownsville, rents
average 80 per cent. What a diff
| ferencel
In spite Of this, there are as few
empty apartments as in the Ghetto
/ walked three miles-I met only
seven apartment To Let" signs
What, Assemblyman jerks, no hous-
ing shortage?
jerks In Swell Albany Hotel.
l wish jerks were with me when
walked into 4 real estate office t.
write this article. The realtor il
charge showed me list of available
apartments. 1t hardly filled three
quarters of typewritten page. AND
this realtor is known to have The
largest trade among landlords in the
Brownsville section.
l asked janitors, and they told me
they had lists of people who wanted
to move away from their present 10,
cations. She often received handsome
bonuses from future tenants, she said
by notifying them Immediately wher
a tenant gave her a moving notice
Waiting lists have been in vogue fol-
the past six years.
Brownsville, the community founded
by progressive youth, has been lying
dormant for the past decade, salts
fled with having grown into ma
turity. But The DAILY WORKER
has sounded call to arms. Pro-
gressive workers are massing them
selves against the housing shortage,
the creature of Crooked politicians,
money-mad landlords, and dollar
greedy builders.
Brownsville, the product of rebel
lious youth, will rally once more, and
fight for better housing. You see,
that's just the way it's built. It's in
the Brownsville blood. And maybe
it won't be a fight, Ell! 1t will, if
Brownsville can help it.