Evening star., 1961-05-26
The NEGRO IN WASHINGTON
Specu|otors Profit by Foreclosures


Continued From First Page
the Negroes would be adj
mitted.
What about apartments in
downtown Washington? What
about the luxury apartment
which advertised in the paper:
'Foggy Bottom, Walk to Work.
Live in a Brand-New Air-Con-
ditioned Efficiency or l Bed
room?
A reporter for The Star, who
Is white, and a Negro answered
that ad on the same day. The
Negro, well-dreSSed. a college
graduate, went in first.
He was told no efficiencieS
were available. What about a
one-bedroom apartment? None
was available, either. He asked
If he could see one anyway and
the manager agreed. On the
elevator the Negro asked II he
would have any trouble living
there.
The manager said, mo. A
lot of diplomatic people live
in this area, and q lot of for
eigners. You look foreign, are
you?"
mo-" he said. I'm Ameri-
can"
"Oh,' the manager said.
He was told that If the one
bedroom was available in a
few months it would cost 5000
a month, with a 5000 deposit.
AS the Negro walked out OF
the lobby, the reporter went
to the desk. The reporter was
told an efficiency was avail
able. How much? 1t would be
$I20 q month, with $50 de-
posit. A check later showed
that no one living in the build
ing was asked to deposit as
much as 5000. And the high
est priced one bedroom was
SITS a month.
That same day, the reporter
and the Negro checked other
apartments. It was the same
story: Nothing available for the
Negro, and if it was, the price
was higher.
BaSically, these were exam
pies of discrimination. The
Negro was not wanted, so the
price was raised to keep him
out. In two apartments the
Negro was advised to look for
"nice" apartments in the CEN
trail part Of the city-right in
the heart Of the colored section
which is mainly slumS. !
An Agents Explanation
A white real estate agent was
asked about this situation. At
first he denied Negroes were
charged more for rents. Later,
though, he explained it this
way:
"The Negro costs infinitely
more to rent to. There's no
getting around it. He beats up
the property more, he moves
more people into it, he has no
concern about it. The cost Of
repair goes up appreciably. I
figure to lose 10 per cent in .
uncollected rents a year. So
you have to protect yourself"
Then he said the reason the
Negro pays more is ''he has
more people in the house or
unit, so it actually costs him
less per head"
The argument he cited about
destruction Of property by
Negroes certainly Is valid in
many cases. Unfortunately,
though, too many Negroes un-
fairly are thrown in with those
who do destroy property and
litter the yards and streets.
Home Buying Factors
What about the sale Of
homes to Negroes? There are
two factors involved. One has
to do with the slum dweller
who through ignorance Is an
easy mark for those who would
take advantage Of him. The
other affects the Negro who
wants to buy a home in a good
neighborhood which is turning
from white to colored.
Take the slum properties
first. That same white real
estate dealer was asked about
this. He leaned back in his
swivel chair. put his feet on the
desk and said: !
well, the truth is that q lot
Of spectators have made a lot
Of money selling to Negroes.
And you can't blame them.
Many Of them sell a place to a
Negro with a small down pay
ment, which means two or three
trusts, or mortgages, to pay.
The combined payments on
those trusts are so high that the
Negro can't afford to keep
them UP. So he loses it on fore
closure or, to keep it, he has
to bring in two or three fam
lilies. So there you are right
back to a sluIn condition.
That's the pathetic part Of
it," he said. II hate to see
them get cheated and I've seen
lots Of them get cheated"
This agent, who deals almost
exclusively in Negro properties,
said he won't rent to a Negro
II the price asked is more than
a quarter Of his income. There
are many other Negroes in the
lower economic levels, though,
who are paying half Of their
income for rent.
Agency Cites System
The National Capital Hous-
ing Authority, in a study of
mortgages on slum properties in
Washington, has this to say