Tenement House Act

Tenement House Act

In 1867, 495,000 people in New York City were living in tenement buildings. Overcrowding (in some areas, a population density of 240,000 people per square mile) led to poor sanitation, which in turn led to cholera and typhoid outbreaks. To remedy these problems, the Council of Hygiene and Public Health in New York City pushed for legislation on the first housing codes in the United States.

In addition to setting dimensions for building lots and construction requirements, these regulations required that one toilet must be available for every 20 people. It also regulated provisions such as fire escapes. Such provisions were created not only to improve public health, but also to create clean living and working environments so that people could "become better citizens."

With this came the creation of the Tenement House Act of 1867, which helped raise awareness about the conditions of the tenements.

National Archives

ca. 1900

https://www.archives.gov/files/research/american-cities/images/american-cities-061.jpg

Tenement Architecture. (n.d.). Mapsites.net : Inventing Gotham. Retrieved Oct 22, 202 from http://www.mapsites.net/gotham/sec8/tour2imanid2.html

Link: National Archives

Two New York City Tenement House Department officials inspecting a cluttered basement.

Source: The Evolving Role of Public Health. (n.d.). National Association of County & City Health Officials. Retrieved Oct 22, 2012 from http://rootsofhealthinequity.org/public-health-timeline.php

National Archives

National Archives

Medium: Photograph

English

Safety

NYC, New York, Tenement House, Overcrowding, Housing, Safety

New York City