Evening star., 1946-12-10
Citizens Council
Urges Denial Of
Rent Boost Pleas
Apartment Tenants
Organize to Protest
Proposed Increase


Urging that all requests for "a
blanket increase In rents in t.
District" be rejected, the Citizer
Council for Community Plannir
today issued q letter which tn
council announced had been sent to
Robert r. Cogswell, District rent
control administrator.
The council represents civic, Ia
Dor, veterans, religious, welfare and
consumer agencies.
The councils letter was issued as
tenants Of the Park Central Apart
ments, 1900 r street NV, were
protesting proposed rent increases
at q hearing before the District Rent
Control Board.
The Park Central tenants charged
the owners would obtain more than
$35, 500 in additional income as COM
pared with less than $27 900 in in
creased operating expenses since
1910.
They also contended, at the second
day of a public hearing at 1740
Massachusetts, avenue NV, that
service standards and other condi-
tions at the 317-apartment building
have deteriorated greatly in recent
years.
Would Increase Rent % Per Cent.
Charles Kohen, tenant for IA
years, testified that his rent would
be raised from $3.50 to $86 If the
petition filed by Morris Cafritz, real
estate operator and owner Of the
building, Is granted.
This increase would amount to
approximately % per cent, he said,
although the higher rent asked In
the petition would range from Is
to % per cent.
About so tenants Of the apartment
house attended the hearing. Before
witnesses were called, Nathan Roher,
secretary Of the Park Central Apart
ments, was questioned by Joseph c.
McGarraghy, counsel for the owners,
and Edward RI Haigler, attorney for
a group Of the tenants who have
formed an association to fight the
proposed rent increases.
Mr.. Haigler brought out that the
total rent increases requested would
amount to about $35, $40, whereas
the operating expenses Of the apart
ment house have gone up from ap-
proximately sec, 1000 in 1910 to $685.
TOO this year.
Mr.. McGarraghy, however, had
Mr.. Rofier produce figures showing
that the company needed an addi-
tional 5000 to cover capital i'm
provements as well as another 5000
to adjust rents in some apartments
for which lower rents have been
charged as compared to apartments
in other parts Of the building.
Examiner Ernest r. Williams, who
is hearing the protest. said he ex-
pected to question q long list OF
witnesses this afternoon and then
| will take the matter under advise
ment before recommending action
by the fun board.
Letter stresses High Rentals.
The letter from the Citizens
Council to Mr.. Cogswell said:
Congress recognized the special
problem of housing obtaining in the
District as the seat Of Government
by passing the District Rent Con-
troll Act. When the act went into
effect rents were frozen as of Janu-
airy /, 1911. Rents In the District,
however, had already risen to a
high level. This was due In part
to the national defense program
which had caused tremendous in
fiux of defense workers ana service
and Government personnel. The
effect Of rent control was to freeze
rents at this high level.
I'm 1910, according to the Census
Bureau, the median gross rent for
washington was $45.23 as compared
to $32.75 for cities with q popula-
tion of $1,000 or more and $30.33
for the urban United States In gen.
eral.
I'm 1945 the Bureau Of Labor Sta
tistics found average rental IN
Washington for four and five room;
dwellings with standard facilities
(including fuel, utilities and house.
furnishings) to be the highest Of
all averages in the 80 key large
cities measured. Using the index
figure of 100 to represent rents in
washington, the second highest
city, New York, had rent index
Of 93.
"It is realized that there is .
movement throughout the country
to increase rents on percentage
basis. There have been practically
no vacancies in apartments and
houses in the District due to the
acute housing shortage. Operating
expenses have been reduced to
minimum because of reduction in
maintenance and repairs. Services
which were greatly reduced during
the war have in most instances not
been resumed, thereby giving the
owners greater return on their in
vestments. We have received no
information to show that the pres
ent return to property owners war.
rants percentage increase.
80 Of $4,000 Adjustments Appealed.
"It has been learned that Of the
$4,000 individual adjustments made
by your ofIice, only 80 have been
appealed. This indicates that the
Rent Control Act has been operat-
ing successfully In the interests Of
the owners.
I'm view Of the above, we are
strongly opposed to any blanket
rent increases In the District Of Co
lumbia. II such increases are con-
templated. we request . public
hearing"
The letter resulted from . meet-
ing held yesterday In the YWCA,
Seventeenth and Z streets NV.
It was signed by representatives
Of the National Lawyers Guild
washington chapter), the Wcmens
Auxiliary of the United Public
Workers (CIO), the District Fedora
tion Of PARENT Teachers Associa-
tions, the Washington committee OF
the Southern Conference for HUI
man Welfare, the Washington Gen.
tral Labor Union (AFL), the South
east Unit Of the League Of Won.
en- Shoppers, the Voteless D. G.
League Of Women Voters, the
r~~o%a~ uyo ebirCfnr Area COlYncil