Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: [v. 95, no. 2443: Articles]: January 9, 1915

Text version:

^xREAL ESTATE AND NEW YORK, JANUARY 9, 1915 ■■■■■■■■■■■■■i^^^^^^^ I THE PASSING OF THE THREE-FAMILY HOUSE I Is the Tenement House Department to Blame, or Are Social and Economic Conditions the Reason? By CYRUS C. MILLER, Ex-President Borough of the Bronx. T, HE passing of tlie two and three- family house in the Boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Bronx is to be regretted for many reasons. We can all remember the decent thrifty American, German and Irish owners who lived in part of their houses and rented out the other floors to tenants like themselves. In a part of the city built up in this way the conservative owners and their families numbered one-half of the citi¬ zens or at least one-third. They were frugal, industrious and law-abiding. Ihey were interested in all the phases of city administration because they helped di¬ rectly to pay the bills. The housing of our people m multi- family tenements increases the percent¬ age of citizens who feel no direct inter¬ est in the government and is apt to be accompanied by all the evils of over¬ crowding. Therefore we should en¬ courage any movement which will help to maintain the number of land-owners and to spread out the population over a larger area. The ambition to own their own homes is common to all peoples, and this desire will be gratified when¬ ever economic conditions permit. This article is not intended either to support or condemn the Tenement House Law, but to examine into its effect, if any, on the three-family house. We might examine therefore, into the case of buildings erected in the last few years, to see whether there has been any lessening of the number of two and three family houses, and if so. what the causes are. Decline of the Three-Story House. In the year 1912 in Brooklyn there were erected 36 (or 4 per cent.) two- story tenement houses; 418 (or 47 per cent.) three-story tenement houses; 379 (or 43 per cent.) four-story tenement houses; 21 (or 2 per cent.) five-story tenement houses; 30 (or 3 per cent.) six story tenement houses, out of a total of 884 tenements. And in the year 1913 there were erected 83 (or 10 per cent.) two-story tenement houses; 227 (or 29 per cent) three-story tenement houses; 425 (or 54 per cent.) four-story tenement houses; 22 (or 3 per cent.) five-story tenement houses; 23 (or 3 per cent.) six-story ten¬ ement houses, out of a total of 780 ten¬ ement houses erected. It may be seen, therefore, that there was a decrease of three-story tenement houses from 418 (or 47 per cent.) in 1912, to 227 (or 29 per cent.) in 1913. The Tenement House Law under which these houses were erected had not been changed during the two years men¬ tioned. This is a fair example of the increasing number of four-story houses and decreasing number of three-story houses for the past ten years or more. In the Borough of Queens the great bulk of the houses erected are three- story houses. In 1913 there were erected in Queens 25 (or 8 per cent.) two-story tenement houses* 244 (or 78 per cent.) three-story tenement houses; 43 (or 13 per cent.) four-story tenement houses; 2 (or 1 per cent) five-story tenement houses, out of a total of 314. iliilllMM^^^^ HO.X. CYRUS C. MILLER. It must be noted that three-story tenements are not always for three families. In 1912, out of 418 three-story tene¬ ments erected in Brooklyn 119 (or 28 per cent.) were for three families each, and the balance, or 299, were for six families each; while out of 227 three- story tenements erected in 1913 only 34 were three-family houses, which is only 15 per cent., and the balance of 193 buildings were for six families each, showing that the percentage of three- family houses had decreased from 28 per cent in 1912 to 15 per cent in 1913. It has been claimed that the Tene¬ ment House Law, which controls the erection and maintenance of the three- family house, is so drastic that it hampers the erection of such houses. Having started with the assumption that three-family houses are desirable in the community we should follow that up with the decision that the Tenement House Law should be abolished or amended in so far as it relates to the three-family house if it has the effect that is charged, and provided also that the requirements of the Tenement House Law are unreasonable. On the other hand, while we are anxious to preserve the three-family house we must not re¬ move the reasonable restrictions which make for healthful, safe and hygienic housing. It is evident that the con¬ struction, alteration and maintenance of such houses must be under the control of some city department. Let us compare the provisions of the Tenement House Law as they affect the three-story, three-family house and the five-story house. (See table below.) It would seem in the first place that the requirements for the three-family house are not unreasonable, and are not so costly as those for the five-family house. If, therefore, the number of three-family houses diminishes and the five-story house increases, we must con¬ clude that there are reasons other than the Tenement House Law. Economic and Social Reasons. I am inclined to think that the rea¬ sons are economic and social, rather than legal, and this view is supported by tiie fact that in the older boroughs like Manhattan, Brooklyn and Bronx, where land values have increased, mak¬ ing heavier expenses to be secured nec¬ essarily from the rents, the three-fam¬ ily house is disappearing, and that in the newer boroughs like Queens and Richmond where land values are low, the three-family house flourishes. Four, five and six-story tenements, with two, three or four families on a floor, enable the owner to gain a larger income from the investment and pay the increased taxa¬ tion on the higher value of the lots. The smaller apartments in a big tenement likewise can be rented for a smaller rent and, therefore, meet the economic neces¬ sities of the tenants. At present the three-story and four- story building are treated alike by the Tenement House Law with regard to fire protection and light courts. Perhaps it would encourage the build¬ ing of three-family houses if the provi¬ sions of the law now applicable to the five-story tenement were applied to the four-story tenements. This would re¬ quire fireproof halls and stairs and larger light courts, but the question then would arise whether this would not re¬ sult in increasing the cost of four-story tenements and therefore encouraging Miiterial of building: Beams over cellar: rdlar stairs: Stairs: Stair halls: Stair Hall Enclosure: Yards : Outer courts : Inner courts : Lighting of stairs and halls: FIRE PROTECTION. Three-story (three-family). The entire building may be of wood if outside the fire limits. The cellar iy the danger point, yet beams may be of wood. May be inside of the building, though this is dangerous construction. May be of wood, soffits or under side to be covered with metal lath or plaster boards. Floors may be wooden beams with 5 inches of cement deafening. Stairs may be enclosed with ordinary wooden stud partitions covered on both sides with metal lath or plaster boards. LIGHT AND VENTILATION. Need be only 10 ft. deep. Permitted to be 4 ft. wide. May be 4 ft. wide by 12 ft. long. No window required ; skylight In the roof with 12-Inch stairwell sufficient. Five-story. B*uiMing must have walls of brick, stone or concrete. Iron or steel beams with fire¬ proof filling required. Outside cellar stairs prohibited. No opening between cellar and upper stories permitted. Stairs must be iron, steel, mar¬ ble or stone in all their parts. Floors must be iron beams with fireproof filling. Stairs must be enclosed with¬ in brick walls with fireproof self-closing doors at all open¬ ings. Must be 12 ft. deep. Must be 6 ft. wide. Must be 12 ft. wide by 24 ft. long. Window to the outer air of 18 sq. ft. required for each floor.