Evening star., 1934-08-25
CAPITAL REALTORS
HELD BLAMELESS
Head of Real Estate Board
Holds Relief Agencies Help
In 0vercroWding.
Continued From First Page.)

would be a sizeable increase in rents
during the next few months. He de-
Tended the real estate man and the
property owner from the charge Of ex-
orbitant prices for squalid quarters, as
well from attacks to the effect that
rents generally are too high" here.
He said the Real Estate Board would
not countenance an effort to increase
prices Of living quarters.
Blames Relief Organizations.
"There Is no law of the land" said
Mr.. Houghton, NOR any reason why
tenants should continue to occupy in
sanitary houses or live in overcrowded
conditions, and certainly If the relief
organizations encourage these con-
ditions by contributing to these unem-
ployed sums which would permit them
to pay exorbitant rentals they are
much to blame for the conditions
they are trying to correct"
Houghton explained that he held
emo brief for the property owner who
will take advantage of the unfortunate
in charging rent which might justly
be considered exorbitant," but added
that he could not see the necessity ut
this time for any one to pay exorbitant
rents "if they do not desire to-" This
condition is only brought about by .
shortage Of housing units, the board
president continued, which would make
It impossible for those paying or
charged more rent than they should
be to change their location for less
expensive accommodations. He said
he did not believe there was such
shortage Of units.
Live in One or Two Rooms.
'sShould those on the relief rolls be
paying more than is thought reason
able for quarters" continued Mr..
Houghton, "I cannot conceive why the
advance should be made for them to
meet these exorbitant rentals or that
they should be permitted to stay In
these quarters when the refusal to pay
them would take them into cheaper
ones. In many cases among the col
ored, as well as among the white, those
on the relief rolls do not need as much
space as an entire house, and 1t Is not
unusual to find them living In one or
two rooms II the size of the family
viii permit. Rooming houses are
being run all over the city by those
who furnish not only roof, but
room which win in season be heated,
Is lighted and in many instances fur
nished, plus q certain amount Of serv-
ice rendered by the rooming house
head, all included In the rental charge.
1t Is likewise not unusual for the one
supplying this type of space to secure
enough from room rent to pay the
rent of the house In full plus living
for herself.
Considerable Doubling Up.
"There Is no doubt that In these
times there Is considerable doubling
up, but the permitting Of this would
indicate q leniency ON the part Of
the owners in allowing the crowding
of their properties during this period
of unemployment rather than taking
the hard-hearted stand that many
times has been laid to the landlord.
Not that the landlord and their agents
ask recognition for the consideration
shown the unfortunates Of our city,
but had 1t not been for the leniency
they have shown during the past years
of depression in permitting tenants
unable to pay rent to remain for
months before they were required to
vacate, suffering would have been very
much greater. In many cases the
necessity of meeting taxes and other
expenses which, II not paid, would
deprive the owners Of their property
compelled them to take action to secure
o tenant who could and would pay
the rent. Should the enormous sum
chargeable to loss Of rental income be
added to the sums contributed to re-
lief In the District Of Columbia, the
total would amount to unbelievable
figures.
Washington Exception.
Rentals In this city may be little
higher than in other sections of the
country, but when you stop to think
that Washington, undisturbed by in
dustrial strife and with O continued
pay roll. is rather an exception, it Is
natural to assume that rentals should
not have dropped to the very low point
here they have elsewhere. It would
hardly be thought that such condi-
tions as have existed elsewhere should
be wished upon the District Of Co
lumbia. Because rentals may be o
little higher here than elsewhere, this
fact In itself does not indicate that an
abnormal rental is being received.
Reports from elsewhere would indicate
that In many places rentals have been
merely nominal and for the purpose
Of keeping the houses occupied that
they might not be carried away or de-
stroyed. It is fortunate Washington
has not reached that stage, and we
hope it never will.
Owners Have Suffered.
"The city has suffered, however,
during the past three or four years
in a very decided reduction Of rental,
not so much in the lower-priced prop
critics as in the larger. The landlords
have had in many instances to meet
the offers made by tenants in order to
have their properties occupied. This
has had a tendency to reduce rentals
and not increase them. Should there
Ill III