HD 73o4 UC-NRLF DOCUMENTS OF The Civic Federation of New Haven No. 12 Housing Conditions in New Haven PREPARED BY CAROL ARONOVICI, Ph. D. FOR THE Section on Tenement House Conditions In this report Dr. Aronovici tells, in a direct concise manner, the conditions which existed in New Haven tene- ments in 1912. It contains information which every citizen should possess. NEW HAVEN October 1913 DOCUMENTS OF THE CIVIC FEDERATION OF NEW HAVEN No. 1 BUILDING LINES IN NEW HAVEN September, 1909 No. 2 THE NEW HAVEN POST-OFFICE BUILDING PROBLEM January, 1930 No. 3 A COMMUNICATION FROM THE NEW HAVEN Civic FEDER- ATION'S COUNCIL OF ONE HUNDRED AND THE NEW HAVEN PASTORS' UNION CONCERNING THE GOVERN- MENT OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY June, 1910 No. 4 FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Civic FEDERATION OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT September, 1910 No. 5 REPORT ON COUNTY AFFAIRS BY THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF THE COUNCIL OF ONE HUNDRED November, 1910 No. 6 IMPROVED HOUSING FOR WAGE-EARNERS January, 1911 No. 7 CONSTITUTION OF THE Civic FEDERATION OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT March, 1911 No. 8 THE PLANTING AND CARE OF STREET AND HIGHWAY TREES April, 1912 No. 9 THIRD ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Civic FEDERATION OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT November, 1912 No. 10 MOSQUITO ' Martn* lifts" No. 11 A SURVEY-0F / A'NEAV*HA\*B"N*'BlSTRICT % April, 1913 No. 12 HOUSING CONDITIONS IN NEW HAVEN October, 1913 Copies of the above documents are for distribution, and can be had of Robert A. Crosby, Executive Secretary of the Civic Federation, by addressing him at Room 709 Chamber of Commerce Building, New Haven, Conn. Materials printed under authority of the Executive Committee of the Civic Federation. K FOREWORD. The Committee on Tenement House Conditions of the Civic Federation present the following report on "Housing Conditions in New Haven" with the feeling that it will commend itself to all those who give their time to its perusal. The Committee decided on such an investigation in the early part of the year 1912, and, with the approval of the Civic Federation, Dr. Aronovici was secured. "While the completed report has been in the hands of the Committee for almost a year it has been deemed inadvisable to give it publicity up to the present time for several reasons, the principal one being that the publication of such a report before anything had been done to better the bad conditions shown to exist, would serve only to advertise Xew Haven's shame, and, through aroused antagonism on the part of her citizens and officials, would lessen the chance of betterment. The Committee feel sure that this opinion was justified, and, while much remains to be accomplished, they can report a number of better- ments and the adoption of a number of the recommendations included in the report. Xew Haven has a Tenement House Inspector under the Health Board : a State Housing Association has been formed ; amendments to our laws and ordinances have been secured, largely through this report. The thanks of Xew Haven's citizens are due both to the Health Department and % the Building Inspector for the manner in which they worked to secure the enforcement of the laws dealing with housing. The Committee hopes that this report will be read by every Xew Haven citizen and that with the reading will come a desire to work for better housing in Xew Haven. THE SECTION ON TENEMENT HOUSE CONDITIONS. 425718 in New Haven. HOUSING CONDITIONS IN NEW HAVEN By CAROL ARONOVICI, Ph.D. Director of the Bureau of Social Research of New England INTRODUCTION. The examination of housing conditions was undertaken under the auspices of the Housing Committee of the New Haven Civic Feder- ation for the purpose of studying the various problems that present themselves in the poorer sections of the city with a view to determining upon a constructive policy of reform to be undertaken by the Feder- ation in cooperation with other agencies in the community. The present report is based upon the data gathered in the course of an investigation which was carried on during a period of about one month. FIELD OF INVESTIGATION. Three separate districts, occupied mainly by Jews, Italians, and 'Negroes, were selected. In all, 1,427 apartments in 256 buildings were examined in the course of the investigation. Owing to the dif- ficulty of obtaining accurate information and to conditions which made complete returns impossible, the facts concerning only 1,343 were noted upon field cards. Aside from this number of apartments an examination was made of 207 apartments located in 57 new buildings, constructed prior to 1911, and all (103) buildings with 548 apart- ments constructed since the 1911 law went into effect, for the purpose of ascertaining the conditions which prevail in the newest tenements, and also for the purpose of gaining a knowledge of the manner in which the building regulations affect conditions. While we have not been able to cover the entire field which would generally be classed in the tenement districts of the city, the investi- gation was sufficiently extensive to be representative of the local conditions. METHOD OF WORK. The field cards used for recording data were of two kinds, namely, building and apartment cards. The field notes as entered upon the cards are on file in the office of the Civic Federation and at the disposal of all persons interested in the improvement of existing conditions. Housing Conditions in New Haven. 3 THE PEOPLE. The most important element in a housing investigation is the popu- lation and its relation to the accommodations which the apartments examined furnish. The differences in standards of privacy, the desire to occupy sanitary and comfortable accommodations varies with dif- ferent nationalities and industrial conditions. In the present study the following significant aspects of populational distribution were considered : age, family relation, nationality of head of family ; each having its bearing upon the housing conditions under which the families are living. The distribution of the population according to age was found to be as follows : AGE NUMBER PERCENT. Adults, 3,452 53.49 Under 5, 1,057 16.38 5-14, 1,292 20.03 Over 14, . . 652 10.10 Total, 6,543 100.00 It is to be noted that 53.49% or considerably over one-half the population residing in the apartments examined was adult and that the next largest age group was from 5 to 14 years The fact that such a large proportion of the population is of mature age should be taken as significant in the consideration of housing accommodations, since the space required by adults is larger than the space required by children, and also because considerable of the disproportion that exists at the present time is due to the large number of recently-arrived immigrants, mostly males, who have no family connection and who are living in private families in no way related to them by blood relationship. Of the 3,452 adults 764 or 22.12% were lodgers. This is a considerable proportion of the adult population. That this con- dition is due to the ethnic composition of the people considered cannot be doubted A comparison between the total population and the number of lodgers in the apartments examined in New Haven shows that 11.28% of the population was made up of lodgers. When compared with the conditions found in other cities examined during the last eight months we find the following: 4 Housing Conditions in New Haven. PER CENT. POPULATION LODGERS LODGERS Buffalo, 1,714 220 12.7 Fall River 5,980 601 10.2 Stamford, 3,031 298 9.8 Waterbury, 5,620 1,235 21.98 New Haven, 6,454 764 11.28 It appears from the above figures that the conditions prevalent in the districts examined are not above the average, although a large number of Italians and other nationalities which keep lodgers very frequently were considered. The families which expose the privacy of their homes to the in- trusion of lodgers, although not as numerous as in other cities recently examined by the writer, include 329 families or 26% of the total whose homes were examined. When considered from the point of view of the number of persons affected by the practice of keeping lodgers we find that 329 families examined include 2,027 persons, or 22.19% per cent, of the population The desire to congregate and rely upon the common language and companionship which a common ethnic origin gives is one of the most potent, if not the most potent factor in the increase of the lodger evil. To what extent congestion per room is affected by the practice of keeping lodgers we will endeavor to show later. ETHNIC FACTORS IN HOUSING. Recent changes in the ethnic composition of the population of many of the American, and particularly the New England, cities have created aside from a variety of social and economic problems a serious sanitary problem which finds its strongest expression in housing. So great has been the problem of housing the foreign elements that we have come to believe that the foreigners have actually created the housing problem, not because of lack of proper accommodation, but because of their presence and through their own mode of life. That such is not the case may be realized from the fact that the most hope- less and unsanitary conditions, at least in New Haven, exist among the native elements which in the advance of industrial development have fallen by the wayside, the victims of their own inefficiency. That a relation between the conditions of the homes and the nationality and racial character of the population exists cannot be denied, but this relation is mainly economic in character and depends upon the ade- quacy of the housing accommodations available in the community and Housing Conditions in New Haven. 5 the control exercised by law through the municipal and State adminis- trative machinery. In the course of the present inquiry it was decided at the outset to give little, if any, consideration to the ethnic factors since the selection of the territory was made in such a way as to include the main sections occupied by the Jews, Italians and Negroes. It was found, however, as is shown by the table inserted below that while the main elements found in these sections were of the above-named racial characters, there were also a considerable number of other nationalities which are either being replaced by the newer elements or are replacing the residents settled in these sections of the city. PER CENT. LODGERS OF LODGERS 399 11.45 78 6.88 43 9.55 46 11.11 62 19.10 79 32.51 3 14.28 12 41.38 1 33.33 10 50.00 3 10.69 1 7.13 NATIONALITY POPULAT Italian, .... . . 3,483 Jew, .... . . 1,123 Negro, .... 450 Irish, .... . . 405 American, . . 323 Polish, .... . . 243 German, . . 78 Armenian, . . 3 Hungarian, 14 Greek, .... 21 Russian, . . 29 Austrian, 4 Welsh, . '. . . . . 3 Swede, .... . . 20 Belgian, .... . . 9 English, .... 14 Lithuanian, . . . 28 Syrian, .... . . 14 Roumanian, . . . 5 Danish, .... . . 2 French Canadian, . . 27 French, .... . . 10 Swiss, .... . . 2 Norwegian, 5 Nationality not given, . . 139 5 17.51 6 60.00 2 40.00 13 9.35 Total, 6,454 764 11.84 \Yhen analyzed in percentages the figures concerning the nationali- ties show the following- distribution : NATIONALITY PER CENT. Italian, 53.97 Jewish, 17.24 Negro, 6.92 Irish, 6.29 Housing Conditions in New Haven. American, 5.00 Polish, 3.76 German, 1.21 Unknown, 2.15 All others, 3.1G Total, 100.00 It is evident that the whole territory covered by the investigation was occupied mainly by people of foreign parentage, most of whom were of foreign birth. Only 5% were born in the United States and of American parentage. With the exception of the Negro there were only 11.29% whose nativity was of English-speaking character. That the standards of housing under which the Italians are living leave much to be desired is indicated by the fact that in the course of the investigation it seemed advisable to gather a larger quantity of facts from the quarter inhabited by this class of people than any other. . . . The preceding table shows that the Italians had the largest number of lodgers, and that 11.45% of the Italian population are living in families with which they had no family connection. This is by no means the largest proportion found, since of the Poles, of whom only 243 were found, in the territory covered, 32.51% were living in fami- lies of their compatriots. The most interesting fact shown by the table is that of the 323 Americans found 62 or 19.10% were lodgers. That this is an abnormal proportion for Americans cannot be doubted. The conditions under which the Americans in the poorer sections of the city live tend to be practically the same as those under which the foreign elements are living, if the economic conditions are the same. This would seem to show that economic rather than racial standards are the controlling factors in housing. Had the distribution of the population among the ethnic groups been more even some interesting conditions might have been revealed. With the material at hand, how- ever, comparison beyond the five groups as represented by the Jews, Italians, Negroes, Irish, Americans and Polish would be hazardous. The figures concerning these groups show that the Poles being the most recent arrivals are more commonly without family connection and, therefore, resort most frequently to the practice of living as lodgers in the families of their compatriots and friends. The family integrity and the desire for family privacy seems to be strongest among the Jews. This was found to be the case in all the localities so far studied, where the number of Jews w r as sufficiently large to admit of comparison. Housing Conditions in Xcii 1 Haven. 7 ACCOMMODATIONS. The problem of congestion of population has frequently been the subject of discussion when the problem of populational distribution over the city's area is considered. The problem of taxation, the ex- tensive and intensive use of lands for building purposes and the crowding of population into small land areas have been the most seri- ously considered within the last few years. That these important factors have a fundamental bearing upon the sanitary, moral and educational standard of the community cannot be denied, but in what relation these accommodations stand to the actual living conditions and the type of building has seldom been made clear by any of the recent investigations Cases of 35% of the land being covered by buildings were found frequently in New Haven in houses which provided accommodations for only one or two families and yet the conditions were not such as to be classed as very far superior from the point of view of congestion Let us consider the room accommodations found in the apartments examined. As the character of the accommodations may be deter- mined to a certain extent by the use to which the rooms are put the following classification has been used : PER CENT. USE OF ROOMS XUMBER OF TOTAL Kitchens, 1,266 27.07 Bedrooms, 2,743 56.68 Sitting rooms and parlors, 532 11.37 Dining rooms, 134 2.88 Total, 4,676 100.00 The above figures show that over one-half of the rooms were used for sleeping purposes. To the number above mentioned must also be added the ten kitchens and two parlors which were also used for sleeping purposes. The number of rooms occupied by a family un- questionably determines the standard of privacy and comfort that the family tries to maintain. The number of sleeping rooms would indicate the amount of crowding when considered from the point of view of total persons using them It was found that the 4,676 rooms were occupied by 6,453 persons, or 138 persons per hundred rooms. An examination of the figures concerning the homes in the families in which lodgers are kept raises the number of persons per hundred rooms from 138 to 145. \Yhen 8 Housing Conditions in New Haven. we compare these figures with the figures for some other cities in which the poorer sections were the object of investigation within the last year the following conditions are found : NUMBER OF PERSONS PER 100 ROOMS FAMILIES WITH CITY ALL FAMILIES LODGERS Waterbury, 147 163 Fall River, 130 170 Buffalo, 131 147 Stamford, 120 133 New Haven, 138 145 It is clear that New Haven has no lower proportion of persons per room than the average, but rather that it is next to Waterbury, which stands highest in the list. The proportion of persons per hundred rooms does not materially increase, however, where lodgers are kept. Sitting rooms and kitchens as well as dining rooms, except in the case of small children, are seldom used for any very large part of the day and this is especially true in warm weather. The sleeping rooms, on the other hand, are occupied during at least seven or eight hours out of the twenty-four, by all members of the family and practically always at the same time. It is, therefore, of greater importance to determine the amount of congestion according to the number of bed- rooms or rooms used for sleeping purposes on which basis the fol- lowing conditions were found : If we compare the figures relating to conditions found in the 1902 investigations with those revealed by the present study there appears to be an increase in the number of persons per 100 rooms from 134 to 138, or 4 persons for every 100 rooms. Bedrooms, 2,743 Kitchens used as bedrooms, .... 10 Total, 2,753 Number of people, 6,453 Number of persons per 100 bedrooms, . 234 Housing Conditions in New Haren. Comparative figures for other cities show the following : CITY Fall River, Stamford, Buffalo, . Waterbury. Xew Haven, NUMBER OF PERSONS PER 100 BEDROOMS 209 220 236 224 234 The above figures indicate that with the exception of Buffalo the congestion per hundred rooms is largest in Xew Haven. The con- ditions in Buffalo were so serious because of the very low type of Seven People Slept in This One Small Room. population among whom the investigation was carried on and also because of the widespread practice among them of sacrificing the necessary space for sleeping purposes for the "comfort" of a spare room. To a certain extent the comfort of the family and the cleanliness of the apartment is determined by the kind of use that each room is subjected to. A crowded bedroom is seldom kept as clean as one in which there is no crowding, and a kitchen which is used as a sitting room and dining room will be found in most instances below the 10 Housing Conditions in Nczv Haven. average standard of cleanliness in the same class of apartment. In the course of the present investigation it was found that only 11.37% of the rooms were spare room or parlor and that of a total of 1,266 families whose rooms were counted, 42.02% had spare rooms. This is considerably higher proportion of spare rooms than we have found in other cities. The number of dining rooms is still more limited, since \ve found only 134 or 2.88% of the total number of rooms. When calculated in terms of number of families having dining rooms we find that only 10.59% have such a room. Kitchen-bedroom of a Two-room Apartment Occupied by Seven People. Aside from the moral problem which the lodger creates, the prob- lem of congestion from the point of view- of the number of bedrooms is worthy of attention. In order to ascertain the relation that the lodgers bear to congestion only the sleeping rooms were considered so as to render the problem of privacy and congestion of the most intensively used rooms obvious. The number of rooms used for sleeping purposes found in 1,266 apartments examined when com- pared with the total population in families in which lodgers are kept and the population in the apartment in which lodgers are not kept show the following conditions : Housing Conditions in New Haven. n PERSONS PER POPULATION BEDROOMS 100 BEDROOMS Total, 6,453 2,753 234 Families with lodgers, . . . 2,027 828 246 In families without lodgers, . 4,425 1,927 229 It will be noted that the highest room congestion is to be found in families with lodgers and that the lowest is to be found in the apart- ments without lodgers, while the average for the whole population is somewhere between the lowest and the highest congestion. Judging from the field notes and the general conditions found the conditions of congestion were more or less evenly distributed through- out the sections examined, and little of any very serious character was found, except in the case of one Lithuanian family where four persons were sleeping in a small room, and several cases where mother, father, and two or three children were sleeping in one room In the case of the kitchens being used as bedrooms, four out of ten such rooms were being used by lodgers under conditions which did not tend to promote either privacy or cleanliness. One of the photo- graphs taken of such a kitchen indicates the conditions that exist. The condition of the bedrooms as a whole was not very serious, but specific cases were found where cleanliness was not possible and where a combination of bad lighting, poor repair and crowding rendered the sanitary condition of the house almost hopeless. PERSONS PER ROOM BY SIZE OF APARTMENT. In several of the inquiries which we have so far made into housing conditions in various cities it was found that with the increase in the number of rooms there has been a corresponding decrease in the number of persons per room for each group of apartments. The figures for New Haven have been analyzed with the same purpose in view, but although the figures show the tendency pointed out above, they by no means present the regularity that was expected. The figures are as follows : PERSONS PER 100 ROOMS Two-room apartments, 148 Three-room apartments, 157 Four-room apartments, 148 Five-room apartments, 119 Six-room apartments, 110 Seven-room apartments, 114 12 Housing Conditions in New Haven. The figures for the two-room apartments show less congestion than the three and four-room apartments, but from that point on there is more or less regularity of the decrease in the number of persons as the number of rooms increases. The smaller proportion of persons in the two-room apartments may be explained by the fact that young couples without any children usually occupy such apartments. The larger proportion of persons for the seven-room apartments may be explained by the fact that ten out of the nineteen apartments examined were occupied by families which keep lodgers and the apartments are mainly for the purpose of keeping lodgers. Persons Per 100 Rooms by Size of Apartments. RENT. New Haven has grown rapidly in the last decade, and in this interval the number of foreign people who have joined the ranks of its workers by far exceeds the normal populational growth of the community due to excess of births over deaths. In the same interval only a limited number of new buildings were constructed. It is obvious, therefore, that the provisions' made for the incoming workers are far from meeting the needs of the community Whatever the rental standards on the basis of amount of accommo- dation, the relation between wages or family income and rentals re- mains more or less fixed. From the point of view of the family budget it fluctuates with the changes in the economic condition of the family much more readily than food or clothing. This being the case, the providing of proper accommodations for the families in the community must be placed under sufficient control to avoid the en- croachment on the part of the family upon its health by a restriction of the expenditures upon shelter which may become detrimental to the health and morals of the family. That this involves a large responsi- Housing Conditions in New Haven. 13 bility on the part of the municipality is not to be questioned. The promotion of proper building under intelligent and farseeing legislative and administrative control would seem to be the first method of meeting this responsibility. In examining the rentals paid by the families considered in the course of the present investigation the following distribution of rentals was found : NUMBER OF ROOMS PER APARTMENT Two rooms, . Three rooms, Tour rooms, Five rooms, Six rooms, . Seven rooms, Total, RENT PER ROOM NUMBER OF PER MONTH APARTMENTS 99 439 447 128 41 12 2.80 2.59 2.61 2.61 2.51 $2.67 1,166 MAXIMUM RENT $ 9.00 12.00 15.00 22.00 25.00 27.00 $27.00 MINIMUM RENT $ 3.50 4.00 5.00 7.00 8.00 12.00 $3.50 WATERBURY RENTS NUMBER OF ROOMS PER APARTMENT Two rooms, . Three rooms, Four rooms, Five rooms, Six rooms, . Seven rooms, Total, RENT PER ROOM NUMBER OF PER MONTH APARTMENTS |2.68 2.86 2.59 2.65 2.44 2,30 $2.64 35 211 331 154 52 9 792 MAXIMUM RENT $ 9.00 13.00 17.00 20.00 22.00 25.00 MINIMUM RENT $ 3.00 3.00 5.00 7.00 10.00 11.00 $25.00 $3.00 The above figures have a remarkable significance if their application to New Haven conditions is considered in the light of rental rates in other states. When the examination of housing conditions in Water- bury was finished the rate of rents according to size of accommoda- tions was found to be extremely high. The explanation of this fact given by the local owners and business men was that Waterbury was a highly skilled industrial center and that the construction of homes is difficult because of the condition of the land which requires large out- lays for the construction of foundations and cellars. The figures for New Haven, as we shall see later, are even higher than in Waterbury and the plea of especially high skilled labor or difficulty of construction cannot be set forth as an excuse for conditions. Housing Conditions in New Haven. It is also evident from the above figures that as in the case of Water- bury the rental per room decreases with the increase in number of rooms and that the five-room apartment marks a point where a rise in the rental takes place due to the better class of buildings which usually contain apartments with that number of rooms. Measurements of 320 rooms in apartments of all sizes indicate that there is no perceptible difference in the size of rooms whether that be a three or a five-room apartment. It is also to be noted that the three, four and five-room apartments are more common since 87.9% of the apartments for which rentals were obtained are of the above indicated size. The difference between the maximum and minimum rentals shows a striking variation w r hich . 1l Average Rent Per Room for Five Cities. should be attributed mainly to the type of improvements contained in the building and apartments, the age of the buildings and the distance from the center of the city. TABLE SHOWING COMPARATIVE RENT RATES BY SIZE OF APARTMENT. NUMBER OF ROOMS Two rooms, . Three rooms, Four rooms, Five rooms, Six rooms, Seven rooms, NEW HAVEN WATERBURY FALL RIVER STAMFORD BUFFALO $3.05 $2.68 $2.47 $3.03 $2.91 2.80 2.86 2.13 2.60 2.24 2.59 2.59 2.02 2.49 1.44 2.61 2.65 1.52 2.46 2.08 2.61 2.44 1.61 2.58 1.53 2.51 2.30 1.77 2.67 1.48 Average rent, $2.67 $2.64 $1.93 $2.56 $1.91 Housing Conditions in AY;v Haven. 15 The above figures are significant for two reasons; first they show that the rentals for Xew Haven are higher than in all other cities for which accurate data were secured on exactly the same bases as the figures for Xew Haven, and also because they show that the two Con- necticut cities when compared with Fall River, Massachusetts, and Buffalo, Xew York, show a decidedly higher rental. Whether the same condition will be found to prevail in other Connecticut cities is not certain, but the fact does have some significance and should be kept in mind in connection with investigations in other cities of the State. A comparison of the rental rates as found by Prof. William Bailey in the course of his inquiry into the housing conditions of nine Xew Haven tenement blocks shows that the average rentals in 1902 were were $2.42 per room and in 1912 they had increased to $2.67 per room CHARACTER OF BUILDINGS. The character of buildings is of special significance in the considera- tion of the housing problem only in so far as it affects the safety, sani- tation and social life of the families living within them An examination of the figures concerning the height of the buildings gives the following results : One and a half, Two, Two and a half, Three, Three and a half, Four, . . Five, Total buildings, A better conception of the distribution of buildings according to size may be gained by a study of the figures which deal with the distribu- tion of buildings according to height, by number of apartments in each building. In the 256 buildings in which the most accurate data were obtained the following was the distribution found : APARTMENTS ACCORDING TO HEIGHT OF BUILDING. NUMBER OF STORIES APARTMENTS l l / 2 2 2^ 33^ 4 5 TOTAL !,...! 1 2, ... 2 -J!i 2 3 2 38 3, ... 6 1 29 2 2 40 4, 12 2 10 6 30 16 Housing Conditions in Neiv Haven. 5, ... 15 1 " 1 8 6, ... 5 1 59 6 71 7, ... 1 1 2 8, ... 1 8 9 9, ... 10 10 11, ... 11 12, ... 12 8 20 13, ... 1 2 3 14, ... 3 3 15, ... 22 16, ... 88 18, ... 2 2 20, ... 235 24, ... 22 32, 11 Total, . 3 52 7 136 2 52 4 256 If we accept the general definition, a tenement is a build- ing in which three or more families are living separately and are doing their cooking on the premises. The New Haven problem is unques- tionably a tenement house problem and the recent movement in con- struction tends to increase rather than to decrease the number of small JJ 17. BBBEmOi ^OHH v./^ HB^^^HRHBHMHnaBBBBH Lot Occupancy in New Haven. buildings. The fact that almost one-fifth of the buildings are occupied by more than ten families is sufficiently important to indicate that the large tenement is not a small part of the poorer section of the city which form the housing problem of the community. A comparison between the figures revealed by Dr. Bailey's investiga- tion of 1902 with the figures revealed by this study show that while in 1902 there were 3.6 apartments per building, in 1912 there were 6.22 apartments per building, or an increase of 72.77%. This shows clearly a tendency away from the single or double home to the large tene- ment. Housing Conditions in AVu- Harcn. 17 In New Haven the distribution of buildings according to the figures obtained in the course of the investigation show that brick construction is most prevalent since 45.7% of all the buildings were of wood and 54.3% of brick. The most serious condition of neglect and lack of repair was found in the wooden buildings while the brick construction seems to be holding its own and presents a better appearance. That the brick buildings are of more recent construction than the wood buildings cannot be doubted since of the 47 buildings less than five years old examined 30 were of brick construction LOT OCCUPANCY. The average lot occupancy found on the 278 lots examined were occupied to the extent of 51.16% of the total area. Of this amount 4.8% was occupied by small buildings made up of toilets, stables, sheds, etc. In eleven cases the sheds were found to occupy over 15% of the lot area and causing a condition of lot congestion that was not only unnecessary to the comfort of the tenement, but which constituted a serious evil. A classification according to the height of buildings as related to lot occupancy shows some very interesting results : HEIGHT OF BUILDING Two stories, . Three stories, Three and a half stories, Four stories, . Five stories, LOT OCCUPANCY NUMBER OF LOTS 32.4 41 48.3 169 48.1) 5 UD.'J 54 83.5 9 Total, 51.16 278 In view of the fact that many low structures are main- tained in the more central sections of the city under the very shadow of the larger structures which occupy a large per cent, of the land the indi- cations would be that the maintainance of small buildings is still profit- able and possible under the present conditions and that unless some restriction is placed upon the construction of the tall building and the lot occupancy, cupidity will make the building of larger structures the rule The land values are created by the intensity of their use and the character of the houses built, construction follows closely the land values, although at first land values are determined by land use. 1 8 Housing Conditions in New Haven. CONDITION OF REPAIR. The life of the building is determined by the condition of repair in which it is kept. The conditions of the yard and even of the interior of the buildings is materially influenced by the condition of repair in which the structures are kept and frequently the psychological influence of the outward appearance of the exterior upon the tenements mani- fests itself in carelessness about the interior of the apartment, the halls and the yard. In view of this influence which was encountered in every direction a classification of the condition of repair of the buildings was made with the following results: NUMBER PER CENT. Buildings in bad repair, 78 26.14 Buildings in good repair, 56 22.30 Buildings in fair repair, 122 51.56 Total, 256 100.00 It appears from the above figures that the majority of the buildings were not kept in good repair. The question may, of course, be raised as to what is a building in good, fair, or bad repair, and it must be con- fessed that it is a matter of personal standard. Generally speaking, where buildings were found with some part of the structure broken, such as doors, walls, stairs, etc., they were classed as in fair repair if the defect did not seem to be dangerous to the occupants and did not interfere with the safety, sanitation and cleanliness of the building. Where, however, the structures were found so out of repair as to inter- fere with the ordinary daily use of its facilities and where breakage in stairs, walls or floors, roofs, plumbing, etc., was deemed a menace to the health and comfort of the tenants the buildings were classed as in bad repair. From the figures it would seem that over one-fifth of the buildings were in bad repair Lack of repair was found mainly in the halls and cellars where plas- tering was coming off, or where leaking pipes had caused dampness. These conditions, especially evident in the older buildings, which at times, as shown by the photographs, presented a tumbled-do\vn appear- ance that demoralized the whole neighborhood. Many of the lean-toos which are used for living purposes or as shops, etc., were found in bad condition of repair and in some cases they were the only structures which interfered with the proper appearance of the premises. On the whole, the condition of repair found in New Haven is not quite as bad as is commonly found in the New England cities which have come under our observation. Housing Conditions in New Haven. 19 OUT BUILDINGS. In addition to the rear tenement and the yard toilets which were found in New Haven there were also a considerable number of build- ings which were not used for dwelling purposes, but which constitute a considerable sanitary problem. They are the buildings used for storage and as shelters for various kinds of animals such as cows, horses, chickens, etc. A total of 120 such buildings were found, 94 of which were constructed of wood and 26 of brick. They may be classi- fied according to their use as follows : Storage, 50 Stables, 36 Chickens, 27 Bakery, 1 Goats, 2 Rabbits, 2 Ashes, 1 Junk, 1 Total, 120 In some instances out buildings were used for two or three purposes by using partitions. The disadvantages of out buildings are many, but the most important one is the occupancy of yard space which in at least 14 cases interfered not only with the general appearance of the yard, but with the light and ventilation of the rooms in the main buildings. The conditions that prevailed in some of these out buildings cannot be described in detail. In the course of the investigation an attempt was made to ascertain the condition of the out buildings with the fol- lowing results : Clean, 34 Dirty, 63 Filthy, 8 Xuisance, 15 Total, 120 Under the best conditions the construction of out buildings seriously handicaps the providing of open spaces in the yards. In maintaining animals such as horses and chickens the cleanliness of the surroundings cannot be maintained with any degree of ease and, as is the case with the stables, considerable waste is always accumulated and stored with- 2O Housing Conditions in New Haven. out proper protection against the breeding of flies. Such was found to be the case in New Haven as in other cities. The fact that fifteen of the buildings were found to be in such filthy condition as to be a nuis- ance clearly shows that, aside from the problem of lot congestion and general cleanliness, the out buildings involve a problem of sanitation of considerable importance. The keeping of chickens, which was found to be of so common a practice, and the keeping- of goats, while an indication of frugality on the part of the tenants are a menace to the health and cleanliness of the houses and yards in which they are kept. Kitchen in Three-room Apartment, Where a Family of Four, With Six Lodgers, Live. The keeping of chickens within the apartment is especially objec- tionable and yet several cases were found where chickens were kept in the living rooms. In one case, after some difficulty, a photograph was taken of part of a flock of chickens kept in the living rooms of an Italian family. In addition to the conditions due to the keeping of animals of various kinds the condition of repair of some of the out buildings was such as to make them unattractive and even unsanitary for the animals which were sheltered in them. The following was the distribution of out buildings according to condition of repair : Housing Conditions in AYvv Haven. 21 Good, 36 Fair, 65 Bad, 19 Total, 120 The broken roofs, the torn up walls and broken doors gave many of these buildings a neglected appearance and did not add to the already neglected appearance of the main buildings, and in nineteen cases the buildings had come to such a condition of disrepair that some of them had been completely abandoned and were being used for the storage of refuse and other accumulations of waste PROXIMITY OF STABLES TO TENEMENT HOUSES. Several complaints concerning the proximity of stables came to the attention of the writer while the verification of certain facts connected with the present investigation were being carried on. Thirty-six stables, located in the yards of tenement houses were examined with the aim in view of ascertaining whether the law prohibiting the main- tenance of stables nearer than twenty feet from the tenement building is being enforced. The conditions show clearly that the law is not being enforced in this respect. Out of a total of thirty-six stables examined, eight were less than twenty feet from the tenement buildings. In two instances the Board of Health had recently prohibited the use of such buildings. ROOFS. The access to the roof in the case of the larger buildings is of con- siderable importance. The distribution of means of egress to the roofs was found to be as follows : Scuttle, 155 Bulkhead, 46 Xone, 45 In eleven cases the egress to the roof, although provided for struc- turally, could not be used in case of emergency because it was locked. The cases where no egress was provided were in houses of one or two stories only. In four cases the approach to the roof was so obstructed as to make ascent difficult or practically impossible. In 143 cases the means of reaching the roof, instead of being of solid construction, were ladders of rather flimsy construction and in 32 cases the ladders were either entirely removed from the opening leading on to the roof or were not attached in a manner that would make their removal impossible. 22 Housing Conditions in New Haven. The condition of repair of the roofs, while not constituting a serious problem, was sufficiently serious to indicate neglect of the owners. Twenty-three cases, or 8.9% of the roofs, w 7 ere out of repair to the extent of affecting the condition of the walls in the rooms and in the halls BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS IN TENEMENTS. The conditions under which buildings are used and their relation to the amount of business that is being done on the premises has a con- siderable influence upon the condition of cleanliness and quiet that prevails in the neighborhood. An examination of the business estab- lishments found in the apartment buildings examined showed the fol- lowing distribution : Grocery, 27 Market, 9 Saloon, 14 Bakery, 5 Meat 2 Fruit 8 Restaurant, 4 Furniture, 6 Barber, 5 Dry Goods, 2 Butcher, 5 Shoemaker, 2 Hay and Grain, 3 Cloth, 5 Clothing, 5 Delicatessen, 2 Crockery, 1 Plasterer, 1 Butter, 1 Chinese Laundry, 1 Pool room, 1 Shoes, 2 Milk, 1 Tailor, 2 Bank, 1 Dry Goods, 1 Plumbing, 2 Express office, 2 Post cards, 1 Candy 3 Jewelry, 3 Produce, 1 Men's furnishings, 1 Harness, ... 1 Housing Conditions in New Haven. 23 Ice cream, 1 Hardware, 1 Cigar factory, 2 Vacant 4 Total, 138 It is to be noted that 14 saloons are located in the buildings which are used also for dwelling purposes. That the presence of a saloon in the buildings occupied by private families is not desirable cannot be questioned. The 14 saloons represent a proportion of a saloon to every 461 persons. \Yhen looked upon from the point of view of the adult population it is found that there is a saloon to every 246 persons resid- ing in the districts examined. That this is a considerably larger pro- portion than is desirable in the poorer sections of the city and that the practices that are carried on in saloons are by no means confined to the rooms in which business is done cannot be denied and the investigation revealed facts that would lead to the belief that girls and boys alike are not wholly oblivious to what is going on. Aside from the saloon the markets and meat stores are by their presence not conducive to cleanliness and in many cases it was found that the manner of conducting these establishments would be bene- fitted by a systematic inspection on the part of the health authorities. The five bakeries found were not clean and suggest the advisability of a more thorough investigation of the sanitary conditions of all the establishments in the city which produce food stuffs. FIRE ESCAPES. New Haven presents a very peculiar situation from the point of view of the fire escapes provided on the buildings on which they are required. The adequacy of the fire escapes when provided must be seriously challenged and in the cases where provisions are made they were found to be in a very serious condition of neglect and disrepair. Out of a total of 77 buildings in which fire escapes were provided 22 were found seriously deficient. The prevailing "acrobatic fire-escape" which con- sists of a ladder running vertically from the top of the building with bars from which persons desiring to escape in case of fire can by going hand over hand reach the ladder are so preposterously inadequate as to be a real menace in case of fire where older persons, or persons with children or luggage in their arms would attempt to use them. \Ye have taken several photographs of such fire-escapes. 24 Housing Conditions in New Haven. In one case in a building of three stories not only are there no fire- escapes, but there is no means of access or egress in the building. This The "Acrobatic" Fire Escape New Haven Has Too Many of This Type. makes it necessary for the families residing within to go into another building on the same lot and pass to their residences by a bridge which Housing Conditions in New Ha-rcn. 25 is by no means in perfect condition or unobstructed. In another case in a five-story building which is located on the corner the fire-escapes The Wooden Fire Escape Very Common in New Haven. which are constructed of iron with wooden platforms present an interesting condition. The platforms are used for storage purposes 26 Housing Conditions in New Haven. and the wood of which they are constructed, owing to dampness and lack of sunshine have become so decayed as to make them dangerous. They could under no circumstances hold a load in case of fire. The court where the fire-escapes end is closed with the exception of three inches through which the investigator failed to get a cat. The bottom of the court is in filthy condition and there is no exit which would permit persons to escape even if the platforms were made safe by reconstruction. Instances of more or less similar character could be cited. Out of the 77 cases where fire escapes were found 20 were found obstructed by household objects to the extent of making their use dangerous in case of fire. In 17 cases the condition of the platforms, railings and place of landing were found dangerous and in need of immediate attention on the part of local authorities TOILET FACILITIES. The difficulty of providing proper toilet facilities for families such as were included in the present study is very serious, first because of the large number of persons that are frequently the users of such facilities and second because the provisions which are now being used by two or three families unused to modern plumbing were originally intended for one family which has for a long time been accustomed to the use of plumbing. In New Haven the examination of the toilets according to location was as follows : CLEAN. DIRTY. FILTHY. Yards, 24 22 31 Halls, 433 378 45 Apartments, 139 90 7 Basements, . . 3 Cellars, 10 23 Total, 606 513 86 It will be noted that a larger number of toilets were found in the halls than in the cellars, yards or apartments The above table gives the cleanliness, lighting and ventilation of the toilet according to access. It will be noted that toilets open into kitchens, dining rooms and sitting rooms or parlors. There were also 29 families using toilets which, although located so that they could be made accessible to the apartments had their doors opening onto the porch, a condition which in the Winter months was not particularly convenient. Housing Conditions in New Haven. 27 The lighting of toilets while not always closely related to their cleanliness does have a considerable bearing upon it. It was found that out of the 1,205 families whose toilets were examined and the condition of which was recorded 388, or 32.2%, were gloomy and 402, or 33.4%, were dark. Most of the dark toilets were found in the halls where lighting is difficult and where they are located as a rule in the center of the hall, too far from the outer walls to be lighted properly. That over 35% of the toilets should be poorly lighted, or without light, is a condition which should be in some manner remedied. In most cases light could be secured by the cutting of windows and some changes in the construction of the doors. The placing of toilets in the cellar or basement under the best con- ditions constitutes at least an inconvenience to the tenants. The further fact that 47 out of the 256 cellars examined were in a neglected con- dition renders the problem still more serious. In all there were only 36 families using cellar or basement toilets. Of this number 23 were dirty and 2 were in filthy condition. The lighting of cellar toilets is very difficult. In all seventeen families were using toilets which were gloomy and fourteen had dark toilets. The ventilation of toilets is a matter of extreme importance and has received consideration on the part of the legislators in practically all the more recent legislation on the subject. In spite of this fact not less than one-half of the families whose facilities were examined are using toilets which have not been provided with proper means of ventilation. The table indicates that three-fifths of the toilets are either poorly ven- tilated or have no ventilation at all. This large proportion of poorly ventilated toilets is due mainly to the lack of intelligence in planning the location of toilets and to the conditions which exist in the older build- ings where the changes from out-door to in-door toilets were made under peculiar structural difficulties. The waterproofing of toilet floors usually involves some expense which owners are not ready to meet. Only 481 of the families are using toilets, the floors of which have been made waterproof We have seen that a large number of the families do not have dining rooms and are in most cases compelled to eat in the kitchen. The pres- ence of toilets, one-quarter of which are not kept in a cleanly condition and with the same proportion which are poorly ventilated or deprived of ventilation it is easily perceptible that considerable unpleasantness and discomfort would result. It must be said, however, that the practice of placing the toilets in the hall has reduced the proportion of kitchen toilets, although no material improvement has been made in the hall toilets. 28 Housing Conditions in New Haven. The yard toilets were not found in large numbers since there were only 27 buildings used for toilet purposes in which there were 39 com- Bad Repair of Filthy Cellar Toilet. partments and 45 seats. The number of families using these out-door toilets was 66. The condition of repair of the toilet buildings was as follows : Housing Conditions in New Hai'cn. 29 Good repair, 2 Bad repair, 9 Fair repair, 16 The cleanliness of the out-door toilets as has already been pointed out, left much to be desired. Six cases were found which were considered from the point of view of sanitation and some of the photographs taken show that words could hardly hope to express the exact conditions found. The number of families using toilets in common with other families numbered 209 or 16.7% of the total number of families whose toilets Type of Yard Vault Which Should Be Immediately Abolished. were examined. These toilets distributed according to number of families are as follows : Two families to a toilet, 128 Three " " " " 39 Four " " " " 20 Five " " " " 10 Six " " " " 12 209 \Ye shall rely upon the photographs to tell the story of the serious conditions found in some of the toilets. On the whole, the toilets which had vaults, 32 in number, were found to be in fairly good con- dition Aside from the condition of cleanliness, light and ventilation, the repair of toilets has considerable influence upon its cleanliness. The following table indicates the condition of repair : jo Housing Conditions in New Haven. LOCATION. BAD REPAIR. VERY BAD REPAIR. Hall, 48 19 Yard, 4 6 Cellar, 3 8 Apartment, ... 16 4 The disrepair ranges from broken boards in the floor, falling or fallen plaster, broken bowls and seats, broken doors, etc Defective plumbing was found in 97 cases, most of the defects being due to freezing in the Winter, improper use on the part of the tenants and poor material. The age of the plumbing was in at least 11 cases the main cause of its poor condition of repair, especially as these toilets were being used by more families than they were at first intended for. RAIN LEADERS. The rain leaders when in bad repair are a source of considerable dis- comfort to the tenants and in many instances cause dampness of wall and an untidy condition of the yard. There were 14 buildings which had rain leaders in bad repair, and in most cases the discharge through the walls of the leaders was causing the sidewalks and yards to be constantly damp. WATER SUPPLY. On the whole the water supply was not materially deficient in the apartments examined except in five cases where the hydrants were located in the halls and four cases where a pump located in the yard was being used. There were three wells in use which, so far as we were able to discover, yielded a sufficient water supply. SINKS. Closely connected with the water supply are the sinks which are prac- tically always placed where the \vater faucet is located. In all 1,193 sinks were examined with the following results : LOCATION. NUMBER. Hall, 24 Kitchen, 1098 Pantry, 57 Cellar, 2 Basement, 2 Closet, 2 Bedroom, 2 Housing Conditions in Xew Harcn. 31 Between kitchens, 1 Hall pantry, 5 Total, 1193 The provisions made seemed on the whole to be adequate with the exception of the sinks located outside of the apartment. In 24 cases the hall sinks were being used by two families each, and were not kept in cleanly condition \YASH TUBS. In Xew Haven we found a larger number of wash tubs than in any other city so far examined. Seven hundred and sixty-seven out of the 1,253 apartments for which facts concerning wash tubs were recorded, or 61 %, were provided with such conveniences. In eight cases they were found in bad repair. Their location was distributed as follows : Apartment, 761 Hall, 1 Cellar, 4 Ell, 1 Total, 767 The material most generally used in the construction of wash tubs was iron. The plumbing was found to be in good condition in prac- tically all cases. \YASTE. The storage, removal and disposal of waste, especially garbage and refuse, are, from the point of view of sanitation and the cleanliness of yards and streets, of considerable importance. That the aesthetic value of efficient waste storage, removal and disposal is an element not to be neglected cannot be denied, but the field of investigation with which this report is concerned is so devoid of the elements that make for the beautiful in architecture or surroundings as to render any considera- tion of beauty a discordant note. GARBAGE. All families .have a certain amount of waste material which is sub- ject to decay and is generally designated as garbage. The receptacles $2 Housing Conditions in New Haven. used by 943 families were examined with a view to determining whether they are adequate for the use for which they were intended, whether they are of wood or iron, and where they are kept. Expressed in percentage, the figures are as follows : Adequate, 74.2% Inadequate, 25.8% It is surprising that the city, which removes the garbage, does not insist upon proper receptacles and an accessible place for the storage. In at least 50 cases the condition resulting from the dump- ing of garbage in the yard or between buildings resulted in creating a nuisance which was clearly perceptible ASHES. The problem of ash removal may not be considered serious Accumulations of rubbish were found very common in the yards, due to the inadequacy of receptacles and carelessness of the ten- ants BATH TUBS. The bathing facilities in tire apartments examined were by no means lavishly distributed The coal, ashes, potatoes or other materials which are generally said to be stored in the bath tubs were not to be seen and in most cases the rooms in which the tub was located indicated care and appreciation of its value CONDITION OF REPAIR OF ROOMS. USE OF ROOMS. GOOD. BAD. VERY BAD. Bed rooms, .... 2424 219 3 Sitting rooms, .... 498 31 1 Kitchens, 1111 89 3 Dining rooms, 125 3 Total, . . . . . 4158 342 7 It is to be noted that of the rooms for which records were made 349, or 7.7%, of the rooms \vere either in bad or very bad repair. Some of the photographs included in this report show conditions of disrepair in rooms, while some cases were left unphotographed because they repre- sented the typical broken floors, falling plaster, etc.,- which charac- terizes the neglected and poorly built tenement. Housing Conditions in New Here en. 33 LIGHTING OF ROOMS. Of the total number of rooms examined there were only three rooms which were entirely deprived of windows and in which nothing could be seen without some artificial light. These dark rooms are of the type that cannot be ventilated. The completely dark rooms were used as bedrooms. Aside from the completely dark bedrooms three kitchens were found in which the windows were below normal in size and were obstructed to such an extent as to render them dark and necessitate the The Bed Occupies Entire Room Only Three Inches Between Window and Wall of Next Building. use of artificial light while the daily work was being done. A classifi- cation of the rooms according to the degree of light they have shows the following distribution : KIND OF ROOM. Bed rooms, Sitting rooms, Kitchens, Dining rooms, Total, LIGHT. FAIR. GLOOMY. DARK. VERY DARK. 936 1364 42 153 44 269 219 23 7 .2 493 664 64 17 2 49 71 2 1 1745 2318 131 178 48 It is interesting to note that a larger proportion of the rooms was fairly light than light. This was due to the fact that a large proportion j^ Housing Conditions in New Haven. of the rooms open on to courts, shafts, passageways between buildings, etc., than open on to the street or a large back yard. The fairly lighted rooms are by no means without proper lighting but the bright sunshine seldom penetrates into these rooms or does so only for a very short part of the day. The rooms that were classed as gloomy, dark or very dark constitute 8.7% of the total number of rooms examined and vary in degree from the very dark bedrooms without windows or opening on to a narrow shaft to the gloomy room, the light of which is obstructed by proximity of buildings or wall. It has been pointed out in an earlier part of this report that the dark rooms are mainly bedrooms. It is evident from the above table that the same condition prevails when a general classification of the light in rooms is made. The proximity of buildings while necessary in the case of the large tenements in order to make use of as much of the frontage as possible does not necessarily entail the obstruction of windows such as is found so frequently in the tenement sections of the city. Proper planning with regard to buildings on adjoining lots is quite as important as the planning concerning the buildings on the same lot with the structure about to be erected. This aspect of building regulation and planning has not received the attention it deserves from legislators and builders. NEW BUILDINGS. It has been stated that,, aside from the number of apartments exam- ined for the purpose of ascertaining various sanitary conditions, 207 apartments located in 57 buildings constructed prior to 1911 ; and 103 buildings with 548 apartments constructed since the 1911 law went into effect were examined. From the point of view of lot occupancy the buildings constructed prior to 1911 occupy an average of 52.6% of the lot, while the buildings constructed since the 1911 law went into effect occupy 65.3% of the lot. This does not include out buildings which were not under the control of the law relating to tenement house construction. The 207 apartments located in 57 buildings constructed prior to 1911 complied as far as could be ascertained in most particulars with the law in force at that time. In the case of the buildings constructed after the 1911 law went into effect exhaustive inquiries were made to ascertain whether the law was definitely complied with. It appeared from this investigation that every provision contained in the law was met by the builders The most serious evil in connection with the tenement house built prior to 1911 was found in the location of the toilets which were located Housing Conditions in A Vic 1 Haven. 55 in the halls and were ventilated by flues or shafts. One hundred and nine such toilets were found. The flues which were used in 87 cases, while constructed according to the provisions of the law, were wholly inadequate to meet the demands of such toilets. It must be stated, how- ever, that the construction of toilets as found in the 548 apartments located in the buildings which have been constructed since the 1911 act went into effect, all have windows opening into the outer air. It it unfortunate that a Corporation Counsel in interpreting the last clause of Section 8 of the Tenement House Act, which allows buildings to approach the lot line without limit in case "no room in the building obtains its light or ventilation from windows opening upon such nar- rower court," considered toilets and bath rooms as not constituting rooms. The law should be amended to meet this interpretation so as to make it compulsory for every builder to place a toilet in a manner that would make possible as good light and ventilation as is provided for living rooms Such errors as have been discovered, and all difficulties encountered in the course of the investigation, showing that better conditions should exist in the newer buildings, were due to the inadequacies of the law which were discovered in the following sections. LEGISLATION. (Under this heading Dr. Aronovici deals at some length with the laws, both of state and city, concerning tenements and makes certain recommendations as to changes. It has been deemed advisable to omit this part of his report as many of his recommendations have been adopted in the form of amendments to the present State Laws. In the Tenement House Law and the Sanitary Act, published in the appendix, the amendments passed at the present session of the Legislature have been italicized. EDITORS.) RECOMMENDATIONS. 1. The organization of a proper inspection system which would make possible regular inspection at frequent intervals of all buildings occupied by two or more families 2. The passage by the City Council of ordinances dealing with the care and maintenance of old buildings requiring such changes as seem feasible and as are necessary in the light of the facts revealed by the present investigation j<5 Housing Conditions in New Haven. 3. The continuance of the Housing Committee of the Civic Federa- tion, whose work for the next six months should be the re-inspection of sanitary abuses found in the course of the present investigation with a view to causing their removal by properly following up complaints to the Health authorities 4. The calling of a State Housing Conference to meet in the late fall when conditions that prevail in the larger populational centers would be discussed with a view to creating a wider interest in the housing conditions in the state by a. Publicity through the press. b. House exhibit of conditions in various cities. c. Expert discussion of housing legislation. d. Special concurrence of city officials with free discussion of their aspect of the problem. (This suggestion has already been adopted. EDITORS. ) 5. The publication of part of the present report in the daily press with photographs of conditions, the publication to continue over a period of several days. 6. A wider use of the figures available in the office of the Commis- sioner of Labor and the preparation for his department of a compre- hensive report concerning the types of houses at present being built. In co-operation with the Commissioner of Labor, a system of records for his office should be devised which would give, with considerable statistical exactness, the facts concerning new houses 7. A careful revision of the present Tenement House Act with a view to meeting the demands of the committee and remove such pos- sibilities for doubtful interpretation as the law contains. Connecticut Laics Concerning Tenement Houses. 37 Connecticut Laws Concerning Tenement Houses Act Concerning Tenement Houses as Amended in 1913 SECTION 1. This act may be cited as the tenement house act, and its provisions shall apply to all cities, boroughs, and towns, except its provisions concerning water- closets, which provisions shall apply to all cities, boroughs and towns, which have a water supply and a sewer system. SEC. 2. Certain words used in this act are defined, for the purposes of this act, as follows: (1) A tenement house is any house or building, or portion thereof, which is rented, leased, let, or hired out, to be occupied, or is arranged or designed to be occupied, or is occupied as the home or residence of three families or more, living independently of each other, and doing their cooking upon the premises, and having a common right in the halls, stairways, or yards. (2) A yard is an open unoccupied space on the same lot with a tenement house, between the extreme rear line of the house and the rear line of the lot. (3) A court is an open unoccupied space, other than a yard, on the same lot with a tenement house ; a court not extending to the street or yard is an inner court; a court extending to the street or yard is an outer court; if it extends to the street it is a street court; if it extends to the yard it is a yard court. (4) A public hall is a hall, corridor, or passageway not within an apartment. (5) A basement is a story partly, but not more than one-half, below the level of the grade. (0) A cellar is a story more than one-half below the level of the grade. (7) The word "shall" is mandatory and not directory, and denotes that the house shall be maintained in all respects according to the mandate, as long as it continues to be a tenement house. (8) In determining the number of stories in a tenement house, a basement or an attic shall be counted as a story if it is occupied or designed to be occupied for living purposes. SEC. 3. Xo tenement house hereafter erected shall occupy more than ninety per centum of a corner lot, or more than seventy-five per centum of any other lot less than sixty feet in depth, or more than seventy per centum of any other lot sixty feet or more in depth ; provided, that the space occupied by fire escapes shall not be deemed a part of the lot occupied. For the purposes of this section the measurements shall be taken at the ground level, except that where such a building has no basement, and the cellar ceiling is not more than three feet above the grade level, the meas- urements as to the percentage of the lot occupied may be taken at the level of the second tier of beams. The provisions of this section shall not apply to a tenement house hereafter erected running through from one street to another street ; pro- vided, that the lot on which such house is situated does not exceed one hundred feet in depth. When a corner lot is more than forty feet in width, that part of such lot which is in excess of said forty feet shall conform to the requirements of this section regarding a lot which is not a corner lot. SEC. 4. Behind every tenement house hereafter erected, unless the house extends from one street to another street, there shall be a yard extending across the entire width of the lot and, at every point open, from the ground to the sky unobstructed ; but fire escapes or unenclosed outside stairs may project not over six feet from the rear line of the house. The depth of said yard, measured from the extreme rear wall of the house to the rear line of the lot, shall be as set forth in Sections 5 and 6 of this act. 38 Connecticut Laivs Concerning Tenement Houses. SEC. 5. Except upon a corner lot, the depth of the yard behind every tenement house hereafter erected, two stories in height, shall be not less than eleven feet in every part ; and such yard shall be increased in depth one foot for every additional story above two stories in the height of the building. SEC. 6. The depth of the yard behind every tenement house hereafter erected upon a corner lot shall be not less than ten feet in every part ; provided, that where such lot is less than one hundred feet in depth, the depth of the yard may be not less than ten per centum of the depth of such lot, but shall never be less than seven feet in every part, nor less than the minimum width of an outer court on the lot line as prescribed by Section 8. Where a tenement house hereafter erected on a cor- ner lot has no basement, and the cellar ceiling is not more than three feet above the grade level, said yard may start at the level of the second tier of beams. Where a corner lot is more than forty feet in width, the yard for that portion in excess of forty feet shall conform to the provisions of Section 5 of this act. SEC. 7. No court of a tenement house hereafter erected shall be covered by a roof or skylight, but every such court shall be at every point open, from the ground to the sky unobstructed. SEC. 8. Where one side of an outer court is situated on the lot line, the width of such court measured from the lot line to the opposite wall of the building, for tene- ment houses hereafter erected, shall be not less than four feet in any part, for houses two stories in height ; and for every additional story above the two stories in the height of such building, such width shall be increased one foot throughout the entire height of such court ; but this requirement shall not prevent a building from approaching nearer the lot line ; provided, that no room in the building obtains its light or ventilation from windows opening upon such narrower court. SEC. 9. Where an outer court is situated between wings or parts of the same building, or between different buildings on the same lot, the width of such court, measured from wall to wall, for tenement houses hereafter erected two stories in height, shall be not less than eight feet in any part ; and for every additional story above two stories in the height of such building, such width shall be increased two feet throughout the entire height of such court. SEC. 10. Where one side of an inner court is situated on the lot line, the width of such court, measured from the lot line to the opposite wall of the building, for tenement houses hereafter erected two stories in height, shall be not less than five feet in any part, and the other horizontal dimension shall be not less than ten feet in any part; and for every additional story above two stories in the height of such building, such width shall be increased eighteen inches throughout the entire height of such court, and the other horizontal dimension shall be increased three feet throughout the entire height of such court. SEC. 11. Where an inner court is not situated upon the lotline, but is enclosed on all four sides, the least horizontal dimension of such court, for tenement houses hereafter erected; and for every additional story above two stories in the height of such building, such court shall be increased three feet in each horizontal dimension throughout the entire length of such court. SEC. 12. Every inner court shall be provided with one or more horizontal in-takes at the bottom. Such in-takes shall always communicate directly with the street or yard, and shall consist of a passageway of not less than ten square feet in area, which shall be left open, or if not open there shall be provided in such passageway open grilles or transoms ; and such open grilles or transoms shall not be covered by glass or otherwise. Connecticut Laws Concerning Tenement Houses. 59 SEC. 13. Nothing contained in the foregoing sections concerning outer and inner courts shall be construed as preventing windows at the angles of such courts; pro- vided, that the running length of the wall containing such windows does not exceed six feet. Offsets or recesses in outer or inner courts may be made ; provided, that the width of such offsets or recesses shall in every case be equal to or greater than the depth. When a tenement house hereafter erected has no basement, the courts mentioned in the preceding sections may start at the level of the second tier of beams, and if no part of the first story of such building is designed to be or is used for the purposes of a dwelling, the first story of the building may be omitted in com- puting the number of stories for the purposes of this act. Xo portion of land lying between two tenement houses shall be counted as any part of the required court or yard space of more than one building. SEC. 14. No tenement house shall hereafter be erected upon the rear of a lot where there is a tenement house on the front of such lot, nor upon the front of any such lot upon the rear of which there is such a tenement house, unless the distance between the two tenement houses is at least thirty feet. No. tenement house here- after erected shall be over four stories in height unless it is equipped with a passen- ger elevator. SEC. 15. In every tenement house hereafter erected every room, except water closet compartments and bathrooms, shall have at least one window opening directly upon the street or upon a yard or court of the same lot, of the dimensions specified in Sections 4 to 13, inclusive, of this act ; and such windows shall be so located as to properly light all portions of such rooms, and shall have a total area in each room of at least one-eighth of the area of the floor of the room. The requirements of this Section in respect to rooms in a tenement house shall apply to all sleeping rooms in every building hereafter erected for use as a hotel or dormitory. SEC. 16. In every tenement house hereafter erected, all rooms, except water- closet compartments and bathrooms, shall be of the following minimum sizes : in each apartment there shall be at least one room containing not less than one hundred and twenty square feet of floor area, and each other room shall contain at least sev- enty square feet of floor area. Each room shall be in every part not less than eight feet six inches high from the finished floor to the finished ceiling; provided, that an attic need be eight feet six inches high in but one-half of its area. In interpreting this act alcove rooms shall be considered as separate rooms. SEC. 17. In every tenement house hereafter erected, the public hall upon each floor shall be provided with a window, or a glazed door, opening to the street, the yard, or upon a court of the size prescribed in Sections 7 to 13, inclusive, of this act, unless the hall is within three stories from the roof. In every such tenement house three stories or more in height, where the public hall upon the third floor from the roof is not provided with an outside window or an outside glazed door, there shall be a stair-well extending from such floor to the roof, such stair-well to be at least twelve inches wide over such hall and at least eighteen inches wide over the hall above. All doors leading from public halls not provided with outside windows, and more than two stories below the roof, shall be provided with translu- cent glass panels of an area of not less than five square feet for each door, or with fixed transoms of translucent glass of an area of not less than five square feet over each door, or such halls shall be lighted by an equivalent amount of translucent glass connecting with a lighted room or rooms. Long and devious 'hallways shall have such additional provisions as may be necessary to give adequate light, subject to the approval of the building inspector. 40 Connecticut Laws Concerning Tenement Houses. SEC. 18. In every tenement house hereafter erected, one at least of the windows provided to light each public hall or part thereof shall be at least ten square feet in area, measured between the stop beads. In every such house where the public halls upon each floor are not provided with windows opening directly to the outer air, there shall be in the roofs, directly over each stair-well, a ventilating skylight pro- vided with ridge ventilators having a minimum opening of forty square inches, or such skylight shall be provided with fixed or movable louvres; the glazed roof of such skylight shall be not less than twenty square feet in area. SEC. 19. In every tenement house hereafter erected there shall be a water-closet in each apartment of three or more rooms, and at least one water-closet for every two apartments of less than three rooms each. Each water-closet shall be in a separate compartment or bathroom, upon the same floor with the apartment which it accom- modates. Each water-closet compartment or bath-room in any tenement house here- after erected shall have a window opening directly upon the street, a yard, a court, or a vent shaft. Every such window shall be of at least three square feet in area, and shall open freely. Every vent shaft in a tenement house hereafter erected shall be constructed of fire-proof material ; not more than two water-closets or bathrooms shall open upon such a shaft on one floor of a tenement house, and no two water- closet or bathroom windows opening upon such shaft on the same floor shall be opposite each other. No such vent shaft shall be less than thirty inches in either dimension or less than ten square feet in area. If the area of such shaft is less than twelve square feet, every bathroom or water-closet compartment below the upper story and, if the area is less than twenty-four square feet, every bathroom or water- closet compartment below the second story from the roof, and opening into such shaft, shall be provided with additional light through translucent glass windows of at least four square feet in area, connecting with other portions of the tenement. Every such vent shaft shall be uncovered, or shall be provided with openings at the top equal in total area to the area of the vent shaft, and shall be provided with a horizontal in-take or duct at the bottom communicating with the street or yard, or with a court ; such duct or in-take shall be not less than two square feet in area, and shall be so arranged as to be easily cleaned out. SEC. 20. In every apartment of three or more rooms, in a tenement house here- after erected, access to every living room and bedroom and to at least one water- closet compartment shall be had without passing through any bedroom. SEC. 21. In tenement houses hereafter erected, no room in the cellar or in the basement shall be constructed, altered, converted, or occupied for living purposes, unless all of the following conditions are complied with: (1) Such room shall be at least eight feet six inches high, in every part, from the floor to the ceiling. (2) The ceiling of such room shall be at least four feet and six inches above the surface of the street or ground outside of or adjoining the same. (3) All walls surround- ing such rooms shall be damp-proof. (4) The floor of such room shall be damp- proof and water-proof. SEC. 22. The floor of the cellar or the lowest floor of every tenement house shall be water-tight, and the cellar ceiling shall be plastered, except where the first floor above the cellar is constructed of iron beams and fire-proof filling. SEC. 23. No building, not used as a tenement house at the time at which this act takes effect, shall be converted to such use unless it complies with the provisions of this act in every respect except that the distance between the floors of an existing building need not be changed ; provided, that every room of such tenement house Connecticut Laws Concerning Tenement Houses. 41 shall measure at least seven feet eight inchs from the finished floor to the finished ceiling. SEC. 24. Xo tenement house shall be altered or added to so as to diminish the light, ventilation, or court or yard spaces existing before such alterations were made, in any way not approved by the department or officer charged with the execution of this act, or so as to infringe upon the standards set by this act in respect to new buildings; and all court or yard spaces adjacent to and under the same ownership with any tenement house and required by the standards set by this act in respect to new buildings shall be maintained as court and yard spaces so long as the building is maintained as a tenement house ; and the number of stories of any tenement house shall not be increased unless the court and yard spaces adjacent to such house and under the same ownership conform to the standards set by this act in respect to new buildings of the proposed number of stories. SEC. 25. Before the construction or alteration of a tenement house or the altera- tion or conversion of a building for use as a tenement house is commenced, the owner, or his agent or architect, shall submit to the building inspector or other local officer authorized to issue building permits, a detailed statement in writing, verified by the affidavit of the person making the same, of the specifications for the con- struction, and for the lighting and ventilation of such tenement house or building, upon a blank or form to be furnished by such officer, and shall also submit a copy of the plans of such work. Such statement shall give in full the name and residence, by street and number, of the owner or owners of such tenement house or building. If such construction, alteration, or conversion is proposed to be made by any other person than the owner of the land in fee, such statement shall contain the full name and residence, by street and number, not only of the owner of the land, but of every person thus interested in such tenement house. The statements and affidavits herein provided for may be made by the owner, or the person who proposes to make the construction, alteration, or conversion, or by his agent or architect. No person, however, shall be recognized as the agent of the owner unless he shall file with such officer a written instrument signed by such owner, designating him as such agent. Such specifications and statements shall be filed with such officer and shall be deemed public records, but no such specifications or statements shall be removed from the custody of such officer. Such officer shall cause all such plans and specifications to be examined, and if such plans and specifications conform to the provisions of this act and to the building ordinances and regulations, they shall be approved by such officer, and a written certificate to that effect shall be issued to the person submitting the same. The officer may, from time to time, approve changes in any plans and specifications previously approved by him; provided, that the plans and specifications when so changed shall be in conformity with law. The construction, alteration, or conversion of such tenement house, building, or structure, or any part thereof, shall not be commenced until the filing of such specifications, plans and statements, and the approval thereof, as above provided. SEC. 26. Xo building hereafter constructed as, or altered into, a tenement house, shall be occupied, in whole or in part, for human habitation until the issuance of a certificate by the officer aforesaid that such building conforms in all respects to the requirements of this act. Such certificate shall be issued within ten days, after written application therefor, if such building, at the date of such application, shall be entitled thereto. SEC. 27. In any building hereafter constructed as, or altered into, a tenement house be occupied in whole or in part for human habitation in violation of Section 42 Connecticut Laws Concerning Tenement Houses. 26, during such unlawful occupation no rent shall be recoverable by the owner or lessee of such premises for such period, and no action or special proceedings shall be maintained therefor. SEC. 28. Nothing in this act shall be construed to abrogate or impair the powers of a local department of health, the fire department, or of the courts or any other lawful authority, to enforce any provisions of any city charter or building ordinances and regulations not inconsistent with this act, or to prevent or punish violations thereof. SEC. 29. It shall be the duty of every inspector of buildings, fire marshal, or other person authorized to issue building permits, by whatever name known, to enforce the provisions of this act and to report all violations thereof to the proper prosecuting officer. Where no other officer is authorised to issue building permits, the health officer of every toivn shall be charged with the duties assigned by this act to building inspectors. SEC. 30. Every owner or lessee of any building which was not used as a tenement house prior to the passage of this act who shall allow such building to be occupied or used as a tenement Jwnse without making such building conform in all respects with the requirements of this act, and every owner or lessee of land, and every builder or architect who shall authorize, make or approve any construction or alteration of any building, or any reduction in court or yard spaces, in violation of the provisions of this act, shall be fined not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than five hundred dollars, and if any violation of any of said provisions remains uncorrected, the vio- lator shall be subject to a renewal of the foregoing penalty every thirty days, until the violation is corrected. SEC. 31. It shall be the duty of the commissioner of labor statistics to collect, keep on file in his office, and at his discretion publish data to be furnished by the officers charged in the several cities, boroughs, and towns with the execution of this act, showing the number of tenement houses for which permits have been asked, the number of plans approved, disapproved, and modified, and any other facts concern- ing the operation of the law. The records and files of said officers shall at all times be open to the commissioner of labor statistics for the purposes provided herein. Printed copies of this act and blank forms needed to carry out the provisions of this section and of Section 26 of this act shall be supplied by the commissioner of the bureau of labor statistics to the officers charged with the enforcement of this act. SEC. 32. This act shall take effect from its passage. An Act Concerning Sanitary Conditions in Tenement, Lodging, and Boarding Houses, as Amended in 1913. SECTION 1. Every building, used as a tenement, lodging, or boarding house, and all parts thereof, shall be kept in good repair, and the roofs shall be so kept as not to leak and all rain water shall be so drained and conveyed therefrom as to prevent its dripping onto the ground or causing dampness in the walls, ceilings, yards, or areas. SEC. 2. No horse, cow, calf, swine, poultry, sheep, or goat shall be kept in or near any tenement, lodging or boarding house unless stabled at least twenty feet distant from such tenement, lodging, or boarding house, and then only when such stabling is not detrimental to health, in the opinion of the board of health. No tenement, lodging, or boarding house, or any part thereof, shall be used for the handling, keep- ing, or storing of combustible articles or rags, or any other articles, in a manner deemed by the board of health to be dangerous or detrimental to health. Connecticut Laws Concerning Tenement Houses. 43 SEC. 3. Whenever any tenepient, lodging, or boarding house, or any building, structure, excavation, business pursuit, matter or thing in or about such house or lot, on which it is situated, or the plumbing, sewerage, drainage, light, or ventilation of such house, is, in the opinion of the board of health, in a condition which is, or in its effect is, dangerous or detrimental to life or health, said board may declare that the same, to the extent specified by said board, is a public nuisance, and may order the same to be removed, abated, suspended, altered, or otherwise improved or purified, as the order shall specify. The board of health may also order or cause any tenement house, or part thereof, or any excavation, building, structure, sewer, plumbing pipe, passage, premises, ground, matter, or thing in or about a tenement, lodging, or boarding house or the lot on which such house is situated, to be purified, cleansed, disinfected, removed, altered, repaired, or im- proved. If any order of the board of health is not complied with, or so far com- plied with as said board shall regard as reasonable, within five days after the ser- vice thereof, or within such shorter time as said board shall designate, then such order may be executed by such board, through its officers, agents, employees, or con- tractors, and the expense thereof shall be collected from the owner by an action in the name of the city, borough, or town. SEC. 4. Every building used as a tenement, lodging, or boarding house shall be furnished with adequate and suitable privy vaults or water-closets. There shall be at least one such closet or vault for every two apartments of three rooms, or less, each, and one such closet or vault for every apartment of four or more rooms. Every tenement, boarding, or lodging house located on premises abutting on any street or alley where running water is available and through which there is a sewer with which connection may be had shall be provided with water-closets connected with such sewer, and each such water-closet shall be located on the same floor as the apartment which it serves. Every bath-room or water-closet compartment in a tene- ment, lodging or boarding house shall be ventilated by a freely opening window of at least three square feet in area, opening to outer air or upon a vent shaft having such openings at the bottom and top as meet the approval of the board of health, or by a separate ventilating flue, of non-corroding material and at least thirty-six square inches in area, leading directly to the roof ; and every such bath-room or water- closet compartment, not otherwise sufficiently lighted, shall be provided with light from an adjoining room or rooms by means of translucent glass, of adequate size in a fixed sash. SEC. 5. Dark and poorly ventilated public halls in tenement, lodging, or boarding houses, shall be remedied in such manner as is deemed practicable and ordered by the board of health. The owner of every tenement house shall provide for the lighting of all public halls at night. Xo room in a tenement, lodging, or boarding house shall be used as a sleeping room unless it has an outside window or is provided with a sash window of at least eight square feet opening into an adjoining room, in the same apartment, having an outside window, which sash window shall be a vertically sliding, pully-hung sash, both halves of which shall be so constructed as to open readily, and the lower half shall be glazed with translucent glass. The walls of any court, shaft, hall, or room shall be whitewashed or painted a light color whenever, in the opinion of the board of health, such whitewashing or painting is needed for the better lighting of any room, hall or water-closet compartment. SEC. 6. It shall be the duty of the board of health of each city, borough, or town to enforce the provisions of this act and such board of health is hereby given authority for such purpose. All duties imposed and powers conferred by this act 44 Connecticut Laws Concerning Tenement Houses. upon boards of health shall devolve upon the health authority of each city, borough, or town by whatever name such health authority may be known. Nothing in this act shall be construed to abrogate or impair the powers of a local board of health, or of the courts, or in any other lawful authority, to enforce any provisions of any city or borough charter or health ordinances and regulations not inconsistent with this act, or to prevent or punish violations thereof. SEC. 7. Every person who shall violate or assist in violating, or shall fail to com- ply with, any of the provisions of this act or any legal order of a board of health made under any of such provisions shall be fined not more than two hundred dollars, or imprisoned not more than sixty days, or both ; and every person who shall con- tinue to violate or assist in violating, or who shall continue to fail or refuse to com- ply with, any of the provisions of this act after having been convicted of violating or assisting in violating any of said provisions, or of failing to comply therewith, shall, upon a subsequent conviction, be imprisoned not more than six months. The county health officer of the county or the prosecuting authorities of the city, borough or town shall have power to prosecute for any such offense. Statement of the Health Officer of New Haven. 45 STATEMENT OF THE HEALTH OFFICER OF NEW HAVEN. When the tenement house law first became operative it was impossible, on account of insufficient appropriation, to detail anyone especially for this work, but the sanitary inspectors, in conjunction with their other duties, attempted to do what they were able and the results of their work were of no small importance. On February 1st, 1913, one man was detailed to give his whole time to tenement house inspection and the following statement will give some idea of the extent o'f his labors up to the present time. A census of the tenement houses in this city shows that there are between twenty-five and three thousand houses that come under the legal definition of such structures and our investigation lead us to believe that over seventy-five per cent, do not in some respect comply with the law. Since the first of February, 1913, one thousand, two hundred and seven tenement houses were examined and a card record of each was made. Six hundred and seventeen of these had some gross violation of the law the minor details are not being considered at this time and the owners were ordered to make changes at once. As a result df these orders there have been put in three hundred and ten new water closets, two hundred and seventy water closet compartments have been ventilated, and one hundred and forty have been lighted by windows of proper size. Seventy privy vaults have been abolished and one hundred and fifty houses have been cleaned from top to bottom. It has cost the landlords over thirty-one thousand five hundred dollars to make these changes. The cases of two hundred and one owners who failed to comply with orders were referred to the city attorney. Of this number only twelve were actually prosecuted, the others after personal interviews with the city attorney did as directed. All of the twelve tried were convicted in the City Court. Two of these appealed to the Court of Common Pleas, but in both cases the findings of the lower court were sustained. Many places are now in the process of reconstruction and it is probable more prosecutions will have to be brought. This by no means covers the whole city, but the work has been thorough as far as it has gone, it being deemed advisable to finish the sections of the city begun before taking up additional work, thus avoiding confusion. FRANK W. WRIGHT, Health Officer. Xew Haven, Connecticut, September 17, 1913. 4 6 Improved Housing Association of New Haven. Improved Housing Association of New Haven' " '47 BEING BUILT AT VIEW AND WILLOW STREETS The Improved Housing Association is incorporated for the purpose of providing better homes for the working people of New Haven. It has let the contract for the building of its first Model Houses, which will be ready for occupancy in the late fall. One hundred and eighty feet of land were purchased on the corner of View and Willow Streets, one block from the State Street car line. Messrs. Mann & MacNeille, of New York, were chosen as architects because of their special knowledge of model housing for industrial com- munities. Their plan for a block of eight two-family houses is very attractive on the exterior and convenient within. . The contract for building the houses has been let to Messrs. Duetsch and Mogil of the Standard Wash Tray Works. Mr. Deutsch has in- vented a new method of using concrete 'blocks and stucco in building, and of this material the Model Houses will be built. Each apartment is entirely separate, having front and rear separate entrances, rear porch, and dooryard with high wire fence. The apart- ment contains a living room, two bedrooms, a kitchenette, a bathroom, and has a sleeping porch and cellar rooms for storage and coal supply. The range is placed in the corner of the living room nearest the kitchenette and will heat the entire apartment in cold weather. Gas connection is provided for gas stove for summer ; an overhead boiler furnishes hot water for the bathroom. The apartments are lighted with gas. The kitchenette contains sink, washtubs, dresser, and place for re- frigerator, and opens on a porch with space for sleeping couch, and covered box for small supply of wood and coal. Careful superintendence of the houses will be given by a trained woman rent collector. Rentals will probably be $12 per month. The Improved Housing Association is incorporated, with a capital of $50,000, to build model houses for workingmen, renovate old tenements and take care of tenement property for individuals and estates. It is limited to 5 per cent, dividends and plans to provide attractive and sanitary houses at low rentals, and provide a surplus for deterioration. The following statement will show the financial status of the undertaking : ESTIMATE OF COST OF 16 APARTMENTS Cost of land, $ 2,340.00 Cost of buildings 21,245.00 Architectural services, .... 1,274.70 Total, $24,859.70 ^iriprbved Housing Association of New Haven. APPROXIMATE INCOME 14 apartments @ $12 per month, . . $160.00 1 apartment @ $13 per month, . . 13.00 1 apartment @ v$14 per month, . . 14.00 Total, per month, . . . $195.00 Yearly income, ..... $2,340.00 APPROXIMATE YEARLY EXPENSE Water charges, $184.00 Insurance, . . . . 40.00 Taxes, 402.50 Removing ashes and sweepings, . . 24.00 5% on $2,340 for superintendence and collection of rents, . . . 117.00 Repairs, vacancies and rent rebates, . 175.00 5% interest on $24,859.70 investment, . 1,242.99 Incidental expenses and surplus, . . 134.51 Total, $2,340.00 $2,340.00 New Haven needs several hundred model houses, single and two- family, and a model suburb would add vastly to the health and happiness of its working people. W'C earnestly ask all citizens interested in the betterment of living conditions here to become stockholders in The Improved Housing As- sociation and help on the movement. Shares are $25 each and may be subscribed for by applying to the Secretary or any member of the Board of Directors. OFFICERS : J. C. Schwab, President C. S. De Forest, Vice-President Barnett Berman, Secretary Exchange Building, 865 Chapel Street Frank C. Frisbie, Treasurer The Mechanics Bank, 72 Church Street DIRECTORS : Susan S. Farnam Irving Fisher Charles S. De Forest Edwin S. Greeley George L. Hendrickson Emma Winner Rogers John C. Schwab THE CIVIC FEDERATION of New Haven is endeavoring to keep the people of New Haven in touch with local matters which are of vital interest to them. TO THIS END it will print, at intervals, pamphlets containing important and interesting information on local con- ditions, which will be sent free of charge to all members of the Federation as soon as issued. OUR DOCUMENTS will include Medical Inspection in our Schools; Open Air Schools for New Haven; Our Housing Problem; Mosquito Extermination; Playground Activities; Public Health, etc. TO OBTAIN THESE D, JUMENTS, if you are not already a member of the Feder- ation, send one dollar to Victor M. Tyler, Treasure ic request that your name be a the list. MEMBERS OF THF EDERATION are requested their friends of this opportur A becoming ac- -juainted with r Haven's needs and ufcge them to join this movement for Community Betterment. UNIVERSITY OJb 1 (JAULb'UKJNIA BERKELEY THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW Books not returned on time are subject to a fine of 50c per volume after the third day overdue, increasing to $1.00 per volume after the sixth day. Books not in demand may he renewed if application is made before expiration of loan period. ^*fcKlF(N) lOm-4,'23 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY