Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-26
CAPITAL PARTIAL
TO MODERN LIVING
Survey of Vacancies Favor
Apartments With Latest
Features.

~ UaCA44146OOAA OC City O1
jewellers" as it was dubbed two years
ago by Ethelbert Stewart, commission
er of labor statistics, apartment dwell
ers here more and more are getting the
type of residence they demand.
This appears to be one of the out
standing conclusions to be drawn from
q comprehensive report released by the
Department of Commerce of an analy-
sis made by its building and housing
division of statistical survey of apart
ment house vacancies in Washington,
compiled by the local Operative Build
ers' Association
The studious analysis of the vacancy
figures shows that while a total of
$50. $50, 900 has been spent in WASH
ington in the past two years in the
construction of new apartment houses
containing 5000 residential units, the
percentage of vacancies has been
definitely reduced, standing at 90 per
cent as Of November. last. A 10 per
cent vacancy is considered by builders
to be normal for growing city of
this size.
Thus, while the "cliff dweller" ap-
pelation is shown by the latest statistics
to be even more true today than two
years ago. the other side Of the picture
revealed in. the study of the Depart
ment of Commerce is that the apart
rnent houses erected in this period,
having better treatment and more up-
to-the-mmute services, have lower per-
centage of vacancies than the older
buildings.
Reports From Survey.
Good news. for the construction in
oustry here is contained in the report
TO- $50 - -
since the first survey made in Febru-
airy. 1927.
The original survey made BY the
Operative Builders Association, cover
ing 1888 apartment units in various
sections of the District, showed va
cancy of 11.6 per cent The number of
units surveyed in March. 1923, was
I4,ils, with vacancy of 81 per cent
Data concerning SIS apartment build
tngs comprising 15,493 units, obtained
IN November, 1928, revealed a vacancy
OF 100 per cent and a similar study of
626 buildings containing 1854 units
as of November, 1929, showed a vacancy
Of 90 per cent.
Importance is attached to the figures,
veys of November in both 1928 and
1929, was obtained on approximately 40
per cent of all apartment units in the
District and representing a reasonable
distribution among the eight sections
into which the city was divided for the
analysis.
The snalysis Of the Commerce De-
partment showed the per cent of va
cancies according to various classes Of
buildings, the size of units and many
other factors.
New Buildings in November.
A comparison Of the figures shows
that there was a vacancy last Novem-
Der of 9.8 per cent in new buildings, in
Guiding In this classification all those
finished since 1925. In the correspond
ing class of buildings finished before
1925 the percentage of vacancy was
found to be 1913.
A similar comparison Of the vacantA
IN buildings with or without resident
managers, the report continues, shows
lower percentage in the former
Further evidence of the demands of
tenants for better accommodations is
indicated in the additional finding that
there Is lower vacancy in buildings
equipped with automatic refrigeration
than in those without such equipment.
1t was found that there was a higher
percentage OF vacancy in buildings hav-
ing elevators than those without. This
excess in the percentage of vacancy in
buildings served by elevators. however
the department declares, sis entirely
accounted for by the unusually high
vacancy in a single building, the omis-
sion OF which gives an average for this
group OF 9.S per cent. which is exactly
the same as the figure for buildings
without elevators.
The report points out in this con-
nection that in this new building with
the high percentage of vacancy, there
Is a resident manager and automatic
refrigeration, so that the percentages
Tor these groups. cited above, also would
correSpondingly be reduced by its ornis-
sion, thus making still wider the Diff
ference In the demand for modernly
equipped buildings and old ones with
out modern accommodations
The report of the department con-
Guides that thus, on the whole, at
appears that in the buildings included
IN this survey, there Is a lower per-
centage OF vacancy in the new build
1ngs and in those with higher form of
accommodation than in old buildings
and those Will out these services.
Modern Building Demands.
In other words in buildings modernlv
equipped, the vacancy is less than in
buildings with poorer service, though
the rental is higher in the up-to-date
buildings.
In regard to the percentage of va.
cancies according TO size Of apartments.
the report. prepared by I. Mansfield
Spasof. states:
In the apartment buildings covered
oy the survey Of November, 1928, the
percentage of vacancy increased from
the smaller to the larger size units,
ranging from 90 per cent in the one
room and bath group to 1873 per cent
m the group OF more than four rooms.
kitchen and bath.
The various apartment vacancy sur
veys studied by the division of the De-
partment OF Commerce were complied
Tor the Operative Builders Association
by Its executive secretary, Rufus S.
Lusk. The surveys we're studied by the
department in connection with the
proposal to urge the making of similar
studies in cities throughout the country