The Washington times., 1938-01-07

IT wouldn't want my frient
now," Mrs. A said, "but it's the
Mrs. A lives with her husband"
and four children on E Street
Northwest, in two basement rooms,
one Of which Is q furnace room
supplying heat to two houses.
For this dwelling, the AS pay
IS a week, including what might
be described as furnishings"
CAN'T AFFORD MORE
The AS cannot afford to pay
more rent than they are now pay
ing, and for $40 month 1t is i'm.
possible in Washington to obtain
adequate and decent housing for
a family of six.
Therefore, the A. do their cook.
ing and eating and two members
of the family sleep in the furnace
room, where an old-fashioned fur.
mace eats coal and spits dust.
The front room" is also useo
for sleeping, for study for the
children, and for receiving COM
pany.
In this front room the floor
along the front walls is frequently
wet because "the sewer that runs
outside leaks through sometimes, -
Mrs. A explained. The woodwork
is rotting away, a built-in cup
board without doors needs plaster |
where the old wall has crumbled
away, and there is a most definite
sagging in several places in the
floor.
$50 SALARY
The bathroom is on the second
floor Of the house, for the use,
not only of the AS but of all the
families occupying the two.story
house.
II don't like raising my chill
dren here" Mrs. A said, "but |
we have to live on what we can
afford, and my husband makes
only $40 a week. After we've |
paid $5 for rent, that leaves us
only SIS for food and other
things the six of us need
"But suppose, Mrs. A, that
In some way you could be per
mitted to select the kind of
house you want to live in, what
would you have?"
It'd like to live in the suburbs,
where could have house with
q yard, or at least some space
for the children to play. That
would be the most important
thing"
Beyond that, she made the SIM
pleSt Of demands. She would re-
quire three bedrooms, she said
one for her husband and herself,
one for the boys and another for
the girls-or maybe two could
sleep on a couch in the living room
"a private Saith, living room
and a kitchen.
VAGUE ON KITCHEN
Asked what kind of kitchen she
would prefer, she was a little
vague.
"oh, just the way they come;
1don't know exactly what would
be eceSSary.
"Pd like a dining room, too,
so I could teach my children
good eating manners" she added,
"but that wouldn't be altogether
necessary. What's most impor-
tant is the play space for the
children and more sleeping
space"
While Mrs. A was talking, her
two daughters were making the
bed In the front room.
II like them to learn how to
keep house nice" she said.
The house was kept clean, but
the mattress on the bed sagged
In the center, and the mattress
cover was dirty. Under the
circumstances, 1t would be more
or less difficult to make it look
inviting.
The furnishing provided by the
landlord included a threadbare rug
that had worn through into full
grown holes in conspicuous places.
The walls were in need of repair,
and the furniture showed cracks
and tears.
WHAT III UOS H
II seems Superfluous to remark
that the AS live in a substandard
dwelling, and that they should be
better housed.
Private enterprise won't give
them three, of even a two-bed-
room dwelling for $40 a month.
What can and will the Govern
n1ent do about it?
It seems fairly logical that If
the Alley Dwelling Authority can
construct four.room houses in
downtown sections to rent for $25
q month, the Government might,
through another agency, con-
struct the same type of dwelling
in . section where land costs
would be lower, and rents proper
tionately decreased. Such a pro
gram could be accomplished on
a basis of an economic rent in
stead Of ability to pay rentals.
European countries, over a long
VNoriaf5 0f time haUo ounrnoSno tho III