Evening star., 1934-08-27
$48,0Q,0lO HELD
NEED TOPROV|DE
HOUSING RELIEF.
Survey Reveals $500, 900
SIum Clearance Fund
Is Inadequate.
RENTS FOUND as PCT.
ABOVE OTHER CITIES
Increased Demand for Quarters
of Lower Cost Is Blamed for
Increased Rates.

Increased Rates.
figures from the survey of housing
OF persons on the relief rolls, made
pu 1lic today, indicate 1t would take
an investment of $4,000 900 if The
Fe leral or District government in
tel lis to put up low-cost housing for
etpn one-quarter of the Districts re-
lie cases.
Landlords of 5,4l0 of the families
n1F on relief charge at the rate Of
s.,l52,000 per annum, the survey
ST CHved, and there are approximately
II, 100 families on relief. Capitalizing
tie annual payments at II per cent,
tie resulting value" of the housing,
the survey finds, would be about
$12, 100000.
This" the survey says will sug-
Ess that the amount appropriated
By Congress for slum clearance in
the District ($500, ,000l will not go far
to alleviate deplorable housing con-
dlsons, which affect the client on
relief" =
Rates As Per Cent Higher.
The fourth section of the findings
OF t1e survey of the housing of Wash
ington's relief families concludes also
that rents charged relief clients here
ale As per cent higher than that
ps id by relief families in other large
ct les of the country, per dwelling,
aid 87.3 per cent higher on the
bssis Of rent per room per week.
THE proportionately higher rate
per room indicates that they also use
fe Fer rooms for a dwelling here than
the low-paid people in other cities
dc - the report said
Ierming the rental rate the crux
OF The whole housing situation as ap-
Piled to relief clients, the report
st. ties:
"I'he vicious influence of an unjust
re ltal rate goes further than merely
su sporting the continued use OF an
in gdequate dwelling. 1t places pre-
m lIn on properties which are even
w. rse and becomes a precedent for
m .intaining still higher rents for
p. ,perties only slightly more desir-
ate.
Low Rent Is Expected.
"A low rental rate is expected for
srr all dwellings, for inferior quarters,
70 dwellings unfavorably situated, or
70 those lacking essential con-
We Iiences A low rate may also in
or use the number of clients for whom
re t may be paid or increase the
an cunt of relief given clients other
tn II rent
rIigh rentals. II allowed by the
Di ision Of Emergency Relief, have
mt ~ far-reaching effects than the
me e reverses of considerations listed
alb We. High rates of rent, if collected
fol one substandard property occupied
by client, support the maintenance
Of "A high rental rate for dozens Of
sir liar properties in no better condi-
tic.
These properties may not be oc--
cul led by families on relief. but wher-
eve the relief agency tolerates a high
rat for inferior accommodations it
ma les it extremely difficult for ten
an not on relief to secure either
tht necessary repairs or adjusted
rel sal rates "
$3.50 Per Dwelling Average.
tatistics were presented to show
thi the average Washington relief
fan lily pays s1.18 a week per room
an $500 per dwelling in weekly rent.
Fiji lres for II other large cities of
tht country for 1924 showed rates of
6S ,ents per week per room and $3.50
pei dwelling per week. Official figures
1or the past year for these cities were
moi available, but there is ample evi-
del ce that rents in many of them
We lower in 1888 than in 1924"
I4sl or Department figures were cited
to how that rents here were 1.3 per
Ger lower here than in 1920.
ne investigators declared, there
for that it is perfectly reasonable to
cor ,lude that it costs relief families
hel at least As per cent more for
Gus tiers than in the other cities.
l the past several years rents for
the larger dwellings and the more ex-
FER iive apartments and flats have
hee / reduced from 1929 levels, but the
sm2 ller units in modest localities have
not been affected so much by the
prl- ling process, the report stated.
In some instances, it appears that
the demand for these smaller units.
GRE ted by the lowered income of the
ersr While prosperous tenants, has actu-
ally resulted in increase in rates for
fnee accommodations, even though
the, may be substandard, it declares.
I le investigators found that in nu-
me- ouS cases relief clients took in
"roe rners" whom they charged rents
4 m uniting to less than the relief client
him self was paying the landlord.
Per Room Rate Higher.
=, would appear that it would have
betll wiser for such clients to have
TAX n smaller dwellings, if procurable,
at lower gross rate, or with a lower
PEI room rate" the report said But,
On ;he other hand, it is evident that
the per room rate was higher for small
dwellings than for larger properties.
Fnis will suggest that the amount
app ;opriated by Congress for slum
Clt3 rance In the District $500 OOO)
viii not go far to alleviate deplorable
housing conditions, which affect the
Gle It on relief" the statement con-
tim I'd
'"i1lere must be great many other
properties occupied by persons not on
relii which are almost as undesira-
iole as dwellings included in this
stuc7. Many alley dwellers were not
On slief rolls in January, 1894. Many
OF tie 5000 clients. from whom COM
plett data were secured, live In sub.
star lard properties.
Property Sale Not Required.
Tt answer the question of VIII!
SOM of the families on relief arr
hornA owners, the report said ''Th'
policy of the Emergency Relief Divi'
sion 1as been not to assist people il
keep ing up payments which wer'
larger than would be required TO
rent If they gave up their property
The division has not. however, re
-. 4 laetituta aerSnns IN diSnnse a