Barnes, Constance C.

English

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HOUSING: AN INVESTMENT IN CITIZENSHIP Constance C. Barnes There are many who believe that private enterprise should assume the major responsibility for solving the housing problem in Hawaii. If it can construct houses profitably, it will provide homes for people .in the upper income brackets. This will free their quarters for others in the next lower brackets, who in turn, release older units for lower income families. Therefore, ‘some families in each group will move up the seale and the intolerable situation will be vastly improved. ! This, however, is a theory and not a fact, for most assuredly there will be families living with relatives in quarters not designed for family use, or in houses that are to be demolished for commer- cial purposes. Their moving does not free dwell- ing space for another family. Construction of houses for those who can afford present day building costs is not the com- plete answer, for there is a limited number of people in the upper income bracket. Hawaii's 1947 tax returns indicate there were only 3,250 with net incomes in excess of $5,000; 5,047 reported incomes between’ $5,000 and $3,500; and 70,444 had under $3,500.2 There were 285,862 reported by em- ployers who received less than $3,500 amounting to 90.99% of the total. compensation returns.? It is this large group that is badly in need of homes. They cannot build because they lack credit or have insufficient savings to meet periods of illness or tinemployment and would risk too much in such an investment. l editorial o- Honolulu Star Bulletin 2/2/49. *Sstatistical data compiled from net income tax returns’ filed in 1948 on 1947 income. Office of the Territorial Tax Commissioner. 3compens ation of individuals in various brackets compiled from employers’ 1947 information reports. Office of the Territorial Tax Commissioner . (39) To determine the lowest annual income that would permit an average family currently to pur- chase a house and lot without too great a risk, opinions were asked of individuals working in con- struction, real estate, city planning, loan com- panies, etc. There were many estimates due to variables involved in geographical areas, land values, improvements, and type of construction. The lowest estimate for:a house and lot in Honolulu was $10,000, and the minimum annual income re- quired to meet this amount was calculated to be $3,500. This falls in line with the theory that ‘it iis impractical to ‘spend more than two anda half, and never more than three times the annual income for a house and lot. It is important, how- ever, to relate the down payment a person can make to the monthly payment. Families with high ‘incomes usually spend less in proportion to their incomes for housing. Then there are other ex- penses that ‘should be considered. Some of these are legal fees, taxes, maintenance, insurance, hot water heater, and furniture. All these items affect budgets of medium income families more drastically than those in higher income bracket's. If we are to be realistic, it would be the indivi- dual with an annual income above $4,500 who could purchase a $10,000 home today without fear of losing his investment. ., As for renting second-hand homes, families :in the middle income groups find it difficult to meet the high rental rates and pay for other family ex- penses. The U.S. Dept. of Labor released in 1947, a report on cost budgets of thirty-four cities ‘showing ‘the total dollars necessary to provide family health, worker efficiency, nurture of chiidten;’ and social participation by all members of the family. ° (Man, wife, two children under fifteen years.)! Nothing was allowed for savings. This study shows that even small families cannot pay high rentals and meet a modest but adequate ‘standard of living. The lowest cost budget was line City Worker’s Family Budget, Report No. R 1909 U.S. Dept. of Labor, 1947. | | (40) Saar Leo $3,004 for New Orleans, where $37.00 was estimated to cover utilities and rental of an adequate house. Applying the 25% differential as a gauge, Honolulu’s cost budget would amount to $3,755 and the rent would be increased to approximately $46.00. There are not many adequate houses for that price in this city. ‘Safe and sanitary houses for large families are scarce even at a rental of $75.00 a month... Trust companies have long lists but few vacancies. Real estate offices contime to report that we are still in a -seller’:s market so they have practi- cally no rental listings. Newspaper advertise- ments occasionally offer rentals between $70 and $80, but these frequently have restrictions on race, children, or ‘require home exchange, ‘several months’ rent in advance, or the purchase of an old car OT furniture if the home i's to be ‘secured. This ‘sé riows: hotrsing: condition is due, in general, tothe Lag in construction during: war years when normal pre-war expansion gave way to unp recedent ed population increase. ‘Slum areas have increased in size since 1940 as buil dings have depreciated during the past nine years. The extent and number of unsafe and insanitary homes throughout the community dre mute testimony to the fact that neither private enterprise, nor govern- ment has relieved the ‘situation. There are 4,093 families today living in temporary projects of the Hawaii Housing Authority. Eventually, when the unit's: are demolished, these must relocate. elsewhere. Each year more and more ee are coming to the Hawaii Housing Authority.! All tacial groups ‘seem equally dis- tressed if the number of applicants isirelated to ‘statistics on the Territory’s population. There Ustatisties -from Hawaii Hous ing Authority’s Annual Reports. Applications Applications Placed Applications Net Placed 1946 5,198 15399 3, 799 1947 6, 480 1,474 5,006 1948 7,144 - 1,775 5,269 (41). were 1,580. families placed in projects on Oahu in 1948. The following percentages ‘show the major racial extraction of the head of each household. The large percentage of Caucasians is due, in part, to placements during the year of the first three grades of distressed service families. ! Cauc asi an 24.3 Chinese 4.0 Filipino | 14..3 Hawaiian and Part Hawaiian iz. 1 Japanese 19.8 Korean 1.8 Neg ro 5 Puerto Rican 4.5 Other : 18.7 Total 100.0% The following indicates some of the circum- stances under which individuals ‘in Honolulu were living when they: applied to Eawaii:’ Housing Au- thority in 19.48. Est. Av. Est. No. Applicants’ No.of No. in Individs. - Housing Condition Cases Family Affected - Quarters not designed for family life 917 4 3,668 Forced to move 1,096 4. 4,384 Substandard condition _ 241 4 964 Location inaccessible — to employment 261 4 1,044 Separated families é 238 4 1,024 Doubled up 2,274 8.8 20,011 Other temporary in- x adequate housing 183 : - = = 5,228 31,095 Although it was estimated that an averageof four individual's‘ in  each household were affected 1 : = ‘ : ; There is no segregation on any project. Selection is made on degree of distress without regard to race, creed or poiitical affiliation. — (42) by most of the above conditions, cases of doubling up indicated a higher average since two or more families were living together. In a study of 416 applications on file, January 15, 1949, there were 6 cases where 18 individuals were Living in two bedrooms, 7: cases with 8 people in one bedroom, 2 cases with 12 in one bedroom, and 22 cases with 8 in two bedrooms. The total number of individuals affected by the doubling up of the 416 families with relatives or friends was 3, 699 or 8.8 in each household. Excessive Hep epee tes offers many hazards to no rmal famil y life. Applicants report inability to train childrén, sickness, irregular hours and meals, insufficient or -disturbed ‘sleep, and emo- tional strain, giving facts ‘that are ‘similar in many ways to those told by Mrs. M. The M’s live in a two bedroom house where each bedroom is 8° x 10°, and. the living room - kitehen-is 12’?.i.x 16° (measured by HHA staff member). Mr. - and-Mrs. M and daughter, 7, sleep in one bed; Mrs. M‘s mother, 67, Sister, 35. and the M's daveiiter 16. in second bedroom -sLeep in a double bed. A daughter, 13, and.son, 12, ‘sleep in a single bed in the living room - kitchen, and:an 18 year old brother sleeps on the floor. : During 18, 090 interviews in 1948, Hawaii Housing Authority’ ‘s-staff members heard a variety of distressing condi tions. A few situations were ‘selected from those: whose incomes were insuf< ficient to build and who were unable to find homes for rent within their means. These will illus- trate to what degree home life is affected. Mr: G, ‘employee, Navy Yard: annual income $3328. wife and 2, children, applied 7/15/47, living doubled up with parents of Mr. G-=great friction. Two months later moved to sister of Mrs. G where 6 lived:in’ three bédroom home. Brother-in- law of Mrs. G’s sister, with his family moved into home. G’s*went to grandmother of Mrs. G. Proving un- successful,‘G’s moved to one room, with kitchen, bath, toilet shared with others. (Tempotary as owner disapproved of children.) For more than (43) a year G's have occupied this one room with son, 10, daughter, 12. Mr. M, rigger: . annual income $3744, wife and three children, forced to move as two bedroom home soid. Doubled up with mother of Mrs. M, 10 in two bedrooms for 7 months. Then Mr. M went to hotel because of family friction. From September to February 1949 Mrs. M and children in mother’s home, Mr. M in hotel. Mr. C, mechanic: annual income $3889, wife and four minor children; former tenants of Palolo Housing project. Bought home, unable to make payments,.lost investment. Wife with children in relatives’ home. January, 1949 applicant injured on job. In local hospital; claimed so worried couldn’t concentrate. Mr. F, truck driver: ‘annual income $2875, wife and 7 children. Rented home was sold. ‘August, 1948 moved to home of mother of Mrs. F. 14 people (three families) in two bedrooms but Mr. F went to his relatives. Since December Mr. and Mrs. F and their 7 children between 7 and 18 years of age have been located in one bedroom house. Children sick and Doctor strongly urges better housing. Mr. S, mechanic: annual income, $3200, wife and 5 minor children. Lived two years in home of Mr. S’s brother, 15 in three bedrooms. Public Health nurse phoned that children in and out of local hospital, felt illness due to overcrowding. November, 1948 S family in a home of Mrs. S’s brother--14 in two bedrooms. ; The efficiency of individuals is lowered by ‘such insanitary and ‘subst andard living conditions. Applicants, ‘social workers, and others give dis- tressing reports of the effect on employment and on ‘school work, on family health, on the increase of negative attitudes of individuals toward their families and toward society. Where adolescents ‘sleep in the ‘same rooms as adults; where adoles- cents of different ‘sexes occupy the ‘same room; where there are ‘two or more basic families in a house designed for one family; where baths, toilets, and kitchens are community affairs, the (44) effect upon members of each household is obvious and of even greater importance to the community than the depreciation of property due to ‘such overcrowding. For the welfare of our citizens, slums must be levelled and unsafe insanitary homes razed. All homes ‘should provide pure air, daylight illumination, direct sunlight, protection against excessive noise, sufficient space in sleeping rooms to minimize contact infections, adequate privacy, bathing and toilet facilities private to the unit, facilities for the performance of house- hold tasks without undue physical or mental fatigue, facilities to maintain cleanliness of dwellings and persons, and sati factory neighbor- hoods. Today, there are at least 9,464! homes in Honolulu and 1, 7972 in Hilo that fail ‘short of these basic requirements. Hawaii’s housing conditions are ‘similar to those reported by many communities on the Mainland. The problem seems to resolve itself into three areas: Low Income Housing; ‘slum clearance and urban’redevelopment; and a program for supplying a ‘substant.ial number of homes at a cost commensurate with incomes of the middle income group. [In the first two of these, Hawaii has made at least a beginning. There are 361 permanent Low Income units in Honolulu.? The Hawaii Housing Authority has pro- grammed the construction of two new Low Income housing projects that were deferred due to the war; i.e., Mayor Wright Homes, 390 units; Lanakila Homes, Hilo, 90 units. Hawaii Housing Authority also submitted a program to the 19.49 Legislature for an additional 400 units--300 for Oahu and 100 for Hilo, which will be permanent slum clearance ~ Ieeport to HHA by the Business Survey and Research Serv: , August, 1948. 2thid, August, 1941. tkondal net income at time of admission must not exceed $2,400 for one or two minor children and $2,700 for three or more minor children. (45) and Low Income projects. It also presented a ‘shelf-application to the Federal Housing Authority for 2,107 units for permanent Low Income homes. The number of units that will result from this application will depend on the action taken by the eighty-first Congress. Plans are underway for a gradual elimination of our‘slums. Present building codes, if enforced, will prevent the erection of new tenements and “substandard homes. The Planning Commission, the Fire, Building, and Health Departments are re- ‘sponsible for seeing that all requirements for healthful housing are met. Good coordination between these departments and a‘staff adequate to enforce building codes are necessary to insure the building of safe and sanitary homes in the future. Programs for the redevelopment and rehabili- tation of slums and blighted areas are also under consideration. ‘Several ‘similar bills presented to the twenty- fifty Territorial legislature seek to cope with this problem. Their main difference is in the allocation of controls, whether to the Territory or to the County. For instance Senate Bill 315 confers certain vecuis and powers upon the Hawaii Housing Authority.1 These relate to the acquisition and assembly by the Authority of real property in the areas designated for rede- velopment; the demolition and removal f buildings, ‘site improvements; installation and construction of streets, utility services, etc.; and the sale or lease of the prepared land to private or public agencies for redevelopment. It should be noted that the bill ‘specifically ‘states that the Au- thority ‘shall not construct any of the buildings except to the extent authorized by Chapter 61 of ‘the Revised Laws of Hawaii, 1945. This particular Community Redevelopment bill requires joint participat.ion by HHA and the lenis article was prepared while the legislature was stiil in session, and before the outcome of the proposed legislation was known. (46) local governing bodies over areas to be rede- veloped. The bill provides that detailed plans be reviewed by the governing body or the designated agency; and that after public hearings, the plans be approved or rejected by resolution. Such plans must be ‘sufficiently complete to indicate: (1) relationship to local objectives; (2) proposed land uses; (3) building requirements; (4) areas to be made available to private and public enterprise for redevelopment; (5) method of financi.ng; (6) method for relocation of persons living in the redevelopment area, as well as the method for providing decent, ‘safe, and sanitary dwellings for persons of low income, displaced from the redevel- opment area, at rents within thetr financial reach; (7) conditions and terms of lease or ‘sale requiring use of land as designated .in the rede- velopment plan within a reasonable time. The bill permits the Authority:to make redevelopment land available for use at its use-value. A community redevelopment revolving fund also is authorized. Methods for producing cheaper houses particu- larly for the middle-income group are being developed by private enterprise throughout the nation. Some believe it is necessary to reap- praise government home loan requirements. Others ‘suggest a different quality of canstruction or the cutting down of living space. Still another sug- gested approach its through mass production. Peculiar to Bawai1t, there are factors that add to the difficulties confronting particularly the middle-income group. These are ‘shipping costs and lack of available land for mass production. Summing up, we may ‘say that the various en- deavors to relieve housing shortages are most encouraging; and within a few years we should see drastic changes taking place. How rapidly the process will be accelerated is dependent upon the will of the people. If a sufficient number is aroused over the way inadequate housing is af fect- ing individual lives, they will do ‘something about it. An enlightened public is a vital factor in resolving the housing problem. (47) 

Housing: an investment in citizenship

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Housing: an investment in citizenship

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