Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-14
Officials Urge
DC. 10 Rewrite
Housing Code
Task Force Sees
Need for Change
In CIussificutions
By Hector McLeon

A basic rewriting Of the pro-
posed housing code for the Dis
trict-as well as q drastic over
hauling of the 1948 regulations
which govern classification Of
housing were slated for recon-
Inendatiop to the District Com
n1issioners today.
These were among proposals
agreed upon by a four -man task
force Of District officials after q
flying visit yesterday to Balti-
more and Philadelphia.
Making the trip were e. Milton
Dulin. superintendent of the Dis
trict Housing Division; William
II. Cary, jr., chief of the Public
Health Engineering Division;
Herbert 8. Thurman, chief OF
the Management Survey Divi-
sion, and Robert r. Kneipp, as
sistant Corporation Counsel.
Summarizing, on the way back
TO Washington last night, MIR.
Kneipp declared the group ought
to recommend a rewriting of
the 1913 regulations, which
would tie in the proposed l1ous-
Ing regulations with those on
tenements, rooming houses, po-
lice. building code, coming and
licensing.
Would Drop Word.
The group also agreed the Dis
trict ought to abandon the word
tenement" to describe certain
kinds of housing units and use
other standards of classification.
Earlier. they had heard DR..
Homer A. Schultz, director Of the
sanitation section of the Balti-
more Public Health Department,
declare the fuse of the word
tenement is archaic. We just
don't use 1t anymore.
In Philadelphia, George r..
Stout, supervisor Of the housing
section of the Department of
Licenses and Inspections, said
I'VE used to use the phrase
tenement but now we speak
Of 'multi-family dwellings,"
In both cities. essentially,
kitchens determine whether resi-
dences are dwelling units" or
'rooming units" II they have
kitchens and baths they are
dwelling units and If they
lack kitchen facilities they are
''rooming units"
Director Franz Vidor of the
Baltimore Housing Bureau said,
however, I'VE have to take the
occupants word" on whether
the premises are issed for cook
ing"
I'VE don't permit shared kit-
chen facilities, though" he said.
EITHER they have 1t or they
don't" #
Bathroom Decides.
In Baltimore there is only one
circumstance In which dwelling
units" may share a bathroom
If there are two units In a two
story house. Otherwise, the
dwelling units must have not
only their own kitchens, but
their own bathrooms. And. at
the moment, that means toilet
and wash basin. After January
l, 1857, it will also mean a
bathtub or shower.
In both cities, sharing of
bathrooms is limited to room
Ing units" which have no cook
ing facilities. Rooming house
regulations, however, affect only
those places in Baltimore where
i've persons or more are room
ers, and In Philadelphia, where
three or more units are i'm
volved. These must be licensed,
and then up to 10 persons may
share bathroom facilities In
Baltimore.
In Philadelphia, two small
dwelling units leach with kitch-
en- facilities) may share q bath
room. Rooming house bathroom
facilities, though, may be shared
by only six persons.
One basic difference between
the two cities is In the admins
tration Of the housing codes.
Baltimore's code Is embodied
In the Hygiene of Housing
Ordinance which contains a
broad grant of power to the
health commissioner, who is
authorized to make regulations
and exercise wide discretion.
23 Yeafs In Post.
"a z % &
The health commissioner there
is DR.. Huntington williams
who spent 10 years with the
New York State Department 81
Health, after taking his degrees
ut Harvard and Johns Hopkins
Universities and who has spent
the last % years In his present
Job.
In Philadelphia. enforcement
Is given to the recently organized
Department of Licenses and In.
spections-as lin the District
although the Health Department
had administered the city's origi.
nal housing code since 1915.
In both cities, the coming and
building regulations. as well IA.
the housing regulations, come
into play. although both housing
codes permit orders to correct
conditions which might have
been legal under previous regu.
lations.
One Baltimore problem--whici
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