The Death Knell for Tenement Housing
Reforms, Acts, and inspections weren’t working. The pictures from the New York City Tenement House Department documented many of these poor living conditions between 1902 and 1914, after the New Law went into effect. But tenements, with the occasional reform effort, continued to house the impoverished and new arrival, and landlords continued to neglect their properties. But in the 1950s, cities were enthusiastically embracing a new trend in reform: Urban Renewal.
Urban Renewal was a federal program that allocated federal money to cities, who used these funds to clear blighted areas of their community. It was an attempt to modernize and eliminate problem areas in major urban areas across the Unted States. Since tenements, always a thorn in New York City’s side, were among the most blighted properties, many of them were cleared out in the 1950s and 60s, until the program faded in the 1970s.
Where Did We Find This Stuff? Here Are Our Sources:
Housing Density: From tenements to towers. (n.a.) Skyscraper.org (n.d.).
