Roger William Riis - The Battle with the Slums
Recorded at Cooper Union Hall, Rodger William Riis speaks about issues in low-income housing in the present day versus 50 years ago. This speech is a tribute to his father, Jacob Riis, who gave a talk on the topic of "slum" housing at Cooper Union Hall fifty years prior.
He describes obstacles to decent and affordable housing as "dragons." According to Roger William Riis, fifty years ago, the dragons in the way of slum clearance were landowner greed, indifference from the public, lack of housing laws and codes, corruption and race discrimination.
The dragons of 1950 are somewhat similar: the cost of development, race discrimination, new or temporary homes for dispossessed people, need for long-range city planning, narrow-minded realtors and bankers, and greed of those in the housing industry. He insists that progress has been made and that these dragons are not insurmountable.
Riis emphasizes segregation and unfair housing practices of African American citizens. He provides examples and statistics of black tenants being charged more than white tenants and given deplorable options for housing.
The lecture is followed by a heated question and answer session. Audience members comment on topics such as the role of free enterprise, building on vacant land, the role of the government, transitional housing and the need for practical idealism
Audio courtesy of the NYC Municipal Archives WNYC Collection
WNYC archives id: 150177
Municipal archives id: LT1349
