Evening star., 1933-09-29
RELIEF PAYMENTS
FORCE FAMILIES
TO JUMP RENTS
Landlords Suffer Because
Scale of Unemployment
Funds Is So Low.
FAMILY OF FOUR AVERAGE
ONLY $20.e4 PER MONTH
Leroy H. Halbert, Emergency Di.
rector, Often Humiliated by
Existing Conditions.

The scale Of unemployment relief
payments in the District is so low that
IN many cases families on the relief
rolls are shifted from landlord to land
lord. leaving behind them a chain of
unpaid and unpayable rent bills. Leroy
H. Halbert, director OF emergency re-
lief, said today.
Early in its history, Mr.. Halbert said,
the administration would deal directly
with landlords in the payment of rent
for homeless and destitute families.
Owing to the increase in the number
on the relief rolls. however. this policy
was abandoned and relief payments
were made direct to the recipients The
unemployed were left to deal with their
various creditors directly, making the
best bargains they could.
Unemployed Problems.
How difficult 1t is for an UNEMPLOYED
family, with no resources but its grants
from the relief funds, to do this Is
shown in the fact that last month the
average relief payments per family OF
four worked out at $2094
At present when the relief organiza-
ton has to deal with the case of q
family actually on the streets 1t will
get the minto lodgings by the payment
Of weeks rent and then leave 1t to
the family to keep up payments for
rent. as well as for all other necessities
OF life the best way 1t can out OF its
allotment.
I'VE know 1t is not possible for them
to do this on the money we allow"
said Mr.. Halbert. so that in the
course Of time the family is evicted
again. Then we get them in some
Urh NJ ,I,st-
there are thousands of dollars in rent
bills piling up. with the landlords hold
ing the sack.
Il am humiliated daily over having
to do business in this way, but that
Is all our funds will allow
Mr.. Halbert's remarks were In answer
to questions about a specific case in
which the family had become five
weeks behind in its rent, and where the
case worker had offered the landlord
one weeks rent as a stop-gap. He said
similar complaints arise every day.
The scale of relief allowed in August,
$20.94 per family Of four for month,
Is fairly close to the average for the
rest Of the year, according to relief
statistics. The average per family has
dipped as low as $17.27 last April The
highest It has ever touched during the
year was $24.70, which was the scale
last March.
Near National Average
It Is also quite similar to the national
average. SO apparently the same situa-
ton exists in other parts Of the coun-
try. According to the Monthly Bulle-
tin of Social Statistics published by the
Children's Bureau, 977,373 relief cases
In July received a total Of 20,833, 1886
in relief allotments. This works out at
S2l.31 per family per month. or only
80 cents above the Washington aver
age for August
All phases Of the operation Of the
District Relief organization now are
being studied by A. R. Pilkerton. assist
ant to Maj. Daniel ]. Donovan, auditor,
to determine what economies might be
effected, it was learned today.
Director Halbert said he would well
come any suggestions for improvement
In administration methods.
Pilkerton explained that he has no
specific objective in view, but is merely
reviewing bookkeeping plans, methods
Of keeping records and relief disburse-
ments and other Office matters to see
what changes might be suggested.