HAMBURG.
267
(1 and 2). The improvement schemes are the State’s most important
contribution to the alleviation of the housing problem. It was the cholera
epidemic of 1892 which roused the Senate and House of Burgesses to action.
As a result of that calamity an extensive improvement scheme was prepared.
A visit of inquiry and inspection was first made to English and Scottish
towns, and ultimately three congested districts in the centre of the town
were in 1899 marked for clearance, one in the Old Town adjacent to the
harbour, and the others in the New Town, one of these also including a harbour
quarter. This last area was first taken in hand ; its slums and rookeries were
bought up and demolished, the ground was raised so as to avert any recurrence
of floods, and the site was sold for small dwellings, of which a number of large
blocks have already been erected. The cost to the town has exceeded half-a -
million pounds.
(8). The State has encouraged the erection of small dwellings both by (a)
the sale of land for the purpose on special terms, and by (b) the exemption of
such dwellings from the land tax. The dwellings built on land sold by the
town may consist either of one living or bed room and a kitchen, with small
pantry, of two living and bed rooms and kitchen, with pantry, or of three
rooms, kitchen, and pantry, all having cellar and attic space. For the erection
of such dwellings the State lends money on mortgage at 4 per cent. By a
law of May 21st, 1902, small dwellings built for working-class families during
the next three years were to be exempted from the land tax for ten years,
provided the rents did not exceed 6s. per square metre surface, and 2,847
such dwellings have been erected subject to this immunity.
(4). As the tramways are private property the State’s power to facilitate
the movement of population to the outskirts is limited and can only be exercised
indirectly. Only one of the tramway companies which run in Hamburg issues
cheap workmen’s tickets, which are available in the early morning's.
(5 and 6). A House Inspection Board (Behörde für WoJuiungspfiege) is
responsible for the due observance of the sanitary regulations. The town is
divided into 12 circuits (Kreise), and each circuit into a number of districts, to
an aggregate of 118. Over each circuit is placed an honorary president, and
to each district is attached a visitor (“Pfleger”), whose duty it is to visit
dwellings regarding which complaint has been received, confer with the owners
as to remedial measures, and to report to the Inspection Board on the result.
The House Inspection Board generally acts on the complaint of private
persons or of public authorities, including the police. In the year 1905, 1,393
complaints were received, and 2,691 defects and nuisances of all kinds were
dealt with.
Several building societies, established on a “ public utility ” or a commercial
basis, have for some years been endeavouring to meet the demand for cheap and
healthy dwellings for the working classes. The Hamburg Building Society
(Bauverein zu Hamburg) had up to the end of 1906 erected in various parts of
the town nine blocks containing 1,211 tenements, at a cost of ¿300,000 for
buildings and sites. The rents range from ¿8 to £11 for two-room tenements,
£10 10s. to £17 10s. for three-room tenements, and £14 Is. to £22 15s. for
four-room tenements. The society’s next scheme will be the erection of a large
number of small one-family houses, with gardens, upon a site some / 0,000 square
yards in extent, which it has acquired for £7,750 near the Alster at Eimsbüttel.
It has been found that dwellings of two rooms and a kitchen cannot be built
under the most favourable conditions at a lower average rent than £10.
The Society for the Building of Small Dwellings has erected blocks
containing" over 800 tenements, the majority containing two rooms and a kitchen.
The three-room tenements are let at from £9 to £ll 4s. per annum, and the
two-room tenements at £6 10s.
In the Amsel-strasse the “Daheim” (“Home”) Building Society has
erected a large block of 170 dwellings, 116 consisting of two rooms and kitchen,
let at from £9 10s. to £10 7s. per annum ; 48 of one room and kitchen, let at
from £11 10s. to £14 ; and seven of three rooms and kitchen, let at £15 15s.
to £17.
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