Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-01
HOLLAND FIGHTS SLUMS
BY RAZINC TENEMENTS
Amsterdam, The Hague and Other Cities
Looking to Comforts of Poor by Build
ing Houses Through Building Loans.

alone have been condemned as unfit
for human habitation and ordered to
be destroyed. This condemnation will
continue for two decades. Before any
area is evacuated, however, new dwell
ings must be prepared for those turned
out. and already the municipality OF
Amsterdam has erected nearly 10000
houses Of this type, while public utility
societies have erected nearly $4,000
working class houses and about one
tenth that number Of houses for the
small professional man or storekeeper
Loans on firSt or second mortgages
have also been granted to more than
5000 private persons building their own
houses, thus bringing up the number of
new houses in which the municipality
Is financially concerned to nearly sc. 900.
The municipality has, moreover
financed or partly financed the build
ing Of 5 "hcmes" or hosteis, con-
tanning together s22 rooms, for persons
living alone, hostel for old people
and holiday homes Not less than
Is per cent of the houses tH- Amster-
dam are under the supervision or di-
rect administration Of the housing de-
partment of the city. To relieve the
government advances half the amount
required for building, which advances
must be repaid within certain num-
Der Of years.
According TO European standards the
costs Of building in Holland are heavy,
partly because of the nature of the
land and partly because much Of the
building material has to be brought
long distances. The smallest rent which
VIII repay the cost in Amsterdam Of
any single dwelling is never less than
or 7NrfWN4 fnlN ~
as the class Of people for whom these
are provided seldom earn more than
from IS to $40 week it is evident that
they must be let at a less or the con-
ditionS of slum life quickly return.
Many of them are let at q rent of 81 20
a week, which brings them web below
the rate at which they are liable to
local taxation. while the working
class" houses are rented at from So
to So q week.
Owing to the smallness of the rooms
and the desire of the authorities to
inculcate methods of cleanliness and
order no trade or professional work is
allowed to be carried on in the houses
themselves, but workshops and small
warehouses can be rented at 20 cents
a week. Here are carried on all kinds
Of trades from bootmaking and re-
pairing to rag picking. while hawkers
and street vendors store their hand
carts and stocks of vegetables, ETC., at
a comparatively cheap rate.
In view of the conditions of the old
houses from which they are turned
out, 1t often happens that before they
can enter. the new houses those who
are making the change must destroy
the bits of table and bed linen they
possess and buy new. II Is seldom they
are in sufficiently good financial posi-
ton to do this, so the city council
supplies their requirements and allows
the payment TO be made by small in
staliments This side of the organiza-
ton is in the hands of persons who
have experience in helping the poor
and who know how to hold the INSTALL
ment payers to their contract when
they can do Sd. and how Is make al
lowances when they fall on bad times,
From the point of view of health 1t
is great advantage that the new
houses are erected on the outskirts of
the city, though this Is not an advan-
tage to all Some have their work In
the center Of the city, and must there
fore use either time and energy In
waking several miles OK spend hard