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

OWlCIc VI Uu1sQlIl8S III 90
block pilot area of Northeast
Washington will spend about
$4,000 to bring their properties
up to standards required by the
Districts year-old Housing Code
~ This was the estimate made
by Director cabell Gwathmey Of
the DEPARTMENT of Licenses anc
Inspections IN urging the city
to spend a similar. amount il
repairing streets. cuf'bs. sidewalk
and other publicly owned install
lations in the area.
The area lies between Second
street NE. and the AnacoStis
River. 1t is bounded on the south
by Constitution avenue and OF
1.-THE north by F street, Maryland
avenue and Benning road.
Mr.. Gwathmey's recommends.
ltion will be submitted to tn,
urban Renewal Operations Com
mittee at its next meeting No
vember 26.
Check Three Phases
Reporting on the first years.
Operations of the Housing Divi-
sion. Mr. Gwathmey said in.
spectors had concentrated or
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 gill
complaints, Mr.. Gwathmey said
ranging from protests about ami.
mails, heating and overcrowdinl
to structural defects and plumb.
ing. The report said they haC
eliminated 32.219 nuisances.
Major portion of the report
was devoted to work in the pilot
area which was selected in Sep.
TENDER, 1855, for block by blocH
enforcement Of the Housin
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. Previou:
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 2,32G
premises had been surveyed,
that only 209 had been without
violation OF the Housing Code
and that 500 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 Sin
terms of financial impact upon
home owners. a one-third sam
pie indicates that the average
cost Of improvements was about
SPIT. The range in costs was
from less than $40 to a maxi
mum of $4,000 per building. The
direct cost incurred in the Hous-
ing Division in securing the nec-
essary changes was about 81;
per building.
Only SO Tenants Approved
"When all residential proper
ties in the pilot area of 81
squares have been brought ur
to the Housing Code standards
expenditures by the owners Of
these properties may be expect
ed to total about S818,000."
Then, he commended, 1T Il
clearly necessary for the city tc
expend funds and effort in
areas such as the pilot area, al
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-
K fit in neighborhood improvement
cannot be achieved. Moreover
/ the enthusiasm and cooperation
by local property owners will bt
hard to develop and maintain
In its inspections Of licensed
housing, the Housing Division
checked 1853 tenement house:
and approved only SO, rejecting
or canceling 217 licenses anc
sending LAB cases to the License
ONCE for issuance Of compliance
notices.
The division inspected 2.79i
rooping houses, approved 524
rejected or Cancelled 261 anc
sent 2,013 to the License ONCE.
I The report said the division
had cleared nearly all Of thu
city's hotels for licenses, buI
that less than 10 per cent o.
some rs convalescent homes hac
been cleared.
tPTA Buzuur