PBH to Begin Full Study of Local Housing

The first full-scale program to inspect all boarding rooms listed with the University Housing Registry will begin this week, Douglas W. Hunt '55, graduate secretary of Phillips Brooks House, announced yesterday.

The analysis will reveal whether a landlord has rented to Jewish, foreign, non-white, Asian, or African students. Hunt declared that the housing office "will do anything it can to discourage discrimination of any kind," but he said bias would not result in automatic refusals to list a room.

Such information as the age and general condition of rooms and furnishings, amount of closet space, extent of kitchen and guest privileges, and the type of heating will also be collected, Currently, the Registry lists only general information, often provided by telephone, and lets each prospective renter find out the details.

Limited Budgets

"So far, we have merely a listing service, Hunt said, "and it is going to be difficult to handle the inspection with our budgetary limitations." The Registry is directly financed by the University and administered by PBH.

Hunt indicated that probably no rooms would be removed from the list, but any student looking for a place to live outside the University would be able to consult a scaled rating--from excellent to poor--on each room's condition.

"We hope that whatever low ratings do appear will encourage owners to improve their property," the PBH graduate secretary said. He added that most owners contacted so far have seemed "glad to have the inspection."

Two Years Ago

The Cambridge Hospitality Committee began the first limited inspection of 60 rooms two years ago, but that analysis only proved it would be desirable to launch a complete inspection, Hunt said.

Over 1,000 rooms are annually on file at PBH, but inspection will take place slowly, as current leases expire and landlords again ask to be listed with the Housing Registry.