Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-11-18
|S|um C|ean-Up
Cost in NE. Put
AT $4,000

w W OOeAAANA0A A1 ASAAAAAOA w VIZ
Districts year-old Housing Code
This was the estimate made
by Director Cabell Gwathmey OF
the Department of Licenses and
inspections in urging the city
to spend a similar amount In
repairing streets, curbs. sidewalk:
land other publicly owned install
llationS in the area.
The area lies between Second
street NE. and the Anacostia
IRiver. 1t is bounded on the south
Iby Constitution avenue and or
1.-THE north by F street, Maryland
|avenue and Benning road.
Mr.. Gwathmey's recommends
ltion will be submitted to the
Urban Renewal Operations Com
mittee at its next meeting No
lvember &c.
Check Three Phases
Reporting on the first years
Operations of the Housing Divi-
sion, Mr.. Gwathmey said in
spectorS had concentrated on
three major complaints
inspection of licensed housing
and enforcement of the Housing
Code on an area basis in the S.
block pilot project.
/ His inspectors handled ella
complaints. Mr.. Gwathmey said
ranging from protests about ami
mails. heating and overcrowding
to structural defects and plumb
ing. The report said they had
eliminated 1929 nuiSanceS.
Major portion of the report
was devoted to work in the pilot
area which was selected in Sep
Itember. 1855, for block-by block
enforcement of the Housin g
Code.
1926 Surveys Made
Work in this area, the report
said, "has provided initial ex-
perience in the field of individ-
ual residences and fats. Previous
to adoption of the Housing Code.
such dwellings had been subject
only to general health regula-
ltions applicable primarily to the
exterior environment of the
building"
Mr.. Gwathmey said 1926
premises had been surveyed,
that only 200 had been without
violation Of the Housing Code
and that 699 had been brought
into compliance.
Violations ranged from out
side water closets, lack of re-
Iquired number of tub showers
and lavatories to below-standard
screening, inadequate number of
electrical outlets and unsafe
stairways.
Mr.. Gwathmey said that "in
terms of financial impact upon
home owners, a one-third sam
pie indicates that the average
cost of improvements was about
$277. The range in costs was
from less than $40 to maxi
mum Of $4,000 per building. The
direct cost incurred in the HouS-
ling Division in securing the nee
essary changes was about $13
per building.
Only SO Tenants Approved
when all residential proper
ties in the pilot area Of SIS
squares have been brought up
to the Housing Code standards,
expenditures by the owners of
these properties may be expect
ed to total about $4,000"
Then, he commended. 1T is
clearly necessary for the city to
expend funds and effort in
areas such as the pilot area, at
least commensurate to the ex-
penditures by owners of private
property in the area. Unless
steps are taken to parallel the
local private efforts with appro-
pirate effort and expenditures by
municipal agencies, the full bene-
fit in neighborhood improvement
cannot be achieved. Moreover,
the enthusiasm and cooperation
by local property owners will be
hard to develop and maintain. :"
In its inspections OF licensed
housing, the Housing Division
checked 1853 tenement houses
and approved only SO. rejecting
or canceling pit licenses and
sending / ,448 cases to the License
Office for issuance of compliance
notices.
The division inspected 2,798
rooming houses, approved 524.
rejected or Cancelled 261 and
sent 2,013 to the License Office.
The report said the division
had cleared nearly all Of the
city's hotels for licenses, but
that less than 10 per cent of
some rs convalescent homes had
been cleared.