Evening star., 1940-03-19
Home Sanitation
In D. {. Scored
AS Deficient
Report to Council of
Social Agencies Asks
Strengthening Of Lows

health and lives of thousands of
families in the Nations Capital,
Mrs. Helen Duey Hoffman declared
yesterday in reporting for the SUBJ
committee on Environmental Sani-
tation of the Health Division, Wash
ington Council of Social Agencies,
at luncheon meeting of the division
in the Y. w. C. A., Seventeenth and
K streets NV.
Mrs. Hoffman, a member of the
subcommittee and director of the
Washington Housing Association,
stressed the need of additional SAN
itary engineering health inspection
service and laws for dealing with
lnsanitary and unhealthful condi-
tions in the District. She read the
report after Vinvent Saccardi, the
subcommittee chairman, had scored
conditions in the District which he
felt affect the health of citizens
here.
The Health Department, Mr..
Saccaroi declared, does not have
the authority to order insanitary
houses vacated. He deplored what
he termed lack of adequate pro-
vision for the maintenance of pub
lie schools, declaring:
1--WE build them and then let
them deteriorate. approximately IS
per cent Of the schools have no hot
water facilities.
Hits Lack of Inspection.
Mr.. Saccardi said there is no SAN
itary inspection of the citv's munich
pal institutions. such as jails, prisons,
homes and schools. and that the hos
pitfalls are given such inspection only
once a year
Regarding the housing situation
here. Mrs. Hoffman's report de-
clared, "one-tenth of the existing
houses are in very bad condition or
unfit for further use, according to
the Federal survey. Most of these
are rented"
There is not only a shortage of
four-room rental dwellings for S25
month. but also of tWo-bedroom
apartments, with heat, for $3.50 to
$50 for middle-income families. With
the removal of over 5000 social
situation will become worse" she
said.
Sees ImproviSed Apartments.
over $4,000 families in the upper
third income range have moved in
the last five years beyond the Dis
trlct line. but in the metropolitan
area. The downtown residential
area is largely occupied by small
slum houses, large residences fast
becoming rooming and boarding
houses and large apartment houses
of one and two room dwellings occu-
pied by persons who wish to be near
their work" continued the report.
Although there were over 1.500
rooming houses (estimated) in 1884
when the real property inventory
was made, data on these was
omitted But casual studies reveal
the extent of the overcrowding and
lack of sanitation which handicap
the health, the lives of thousands of
families in the Nations Capital
Elsewhere in her report, Mrs.
Hoffman said over 4500 houses do
not have running water inside;
that water is obtained from a yard
hydrant usually too close to the
sewer"
About 10000 families in the Capt.
tai City are indecently housed. OF
these, only 1900 cannot pay
rent over $40 a month, said the
report.
Necessary Services Unprovided.
"At the present time the public
health engineering and the sanitary
inspection services in the District
of Columbia do not provide for
certain types of work which it is
| believed necessary and should be
furnished Mrs. Hoffman's report
continued, this includes rodent
vermin control and the sanitary in
spection of public schools, camps
and institutions; additional effort
and extension of activities in
definite educational and enforce
ment program for the development
OF better housing and the collateral
supervision of the operation of
water supplies. sewage disposal and
other similar functions of both Dis
trict of Columbia and private
premises is believed necessary.
Other items named in her report
as being "in need of attention" in
cluded:
Il. Elimination of cross connec-
tlons in the city water supply.
2. The lack of satisfactory sew
age disposal facilities for large
number of homes in the District of
Columbia for which sewers are not
available.
"3. The improvement of MAIN
tenance condition and the improve
ment of structural and mechanical
equipment of the public school
buildings"
Emphasizing possible hazards
from contaminated water, Mrs.
Hoffman's report urged proper in
spection of both drinking water and
that used to swim in.
RecreatiOnal PrOvisOs Asked.
She suggested that before camp
or other recreational area is opened
that statement be obtained from
the Health Department approving
the site, water supply, sewage, gar
bage and refuse disposal; sources
of food, equipment for storage. re-
frigeration and preservation; han
ding, sterilization of cooking and
eating utensils; examination of food
handlers, swimming facilities and
equipment for first aid and medical
service.
The meeting was opened by
George st. John Perrott, chairman
of the Health Division of the Coun-
Gil of Social Agencies, who stressed
the Importance of public health en-
gineering in promoting and main
tanning the health of a community.