FLATS FOR WOMEN

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12395, 15 March 1926, Page 11

FLATS FOR WOMEN

Writing from America, Miss Portia Geach tells of an interesting venture, in New York for providing self-support-ing women, earning moderate incomes, with a-comfortable living place. Tho building, known as “Tho Irvin,” was planned several years ago by women interested in the housing qiiestion, but the erection was delayed by the war. Last year, however, a tenstoried building, containing fifty-eight apartments, was opened iu West Thirtieth street, New York. Tho apartments comprise three or four rooms and a kitchen, and leases are taken by the year. Prices range from about £1 15s to £2 2s a week. This makes the rent low when three or four women liv« in tho group system. There aro nn rules, except that men callers nre expected to leave bv midnight. They “check-in” at the office when arriving, and if when 12 o’clock comes some man has failed to depart, a telephone call from tho office apprises the bachelor hostess that the closing hour for men callers has struck.

In thijs apartment house there is a pleasant public parlour, and the entrance and the atmosphere of the building are quite as good as thev nre in expensive apartment hotels. “The Ir-, vin” is not endowed, and is said to he; tho only self-supporting apartment i house for self-supporting women in the, world.