The statement is TRUE: Some tenement owners used law loopholes to keep from repairing property. Let's look at the situation as it existed in cities in America as industrialization took place. Let's use New York City as our primary example. There were legislative acts in New York in 1867 and 1879, trying to regulate problems in tenement housing. Buildings were supposed to have adequate bathroom facilities, proper ventilation and sanitation, etc. Property owners were supposed to pay fines if they didn't comply with the laws. But landlords would find loopholes and maneuvers to get around the laws, or would pay off inspectors as a way to avoid being hit with steeper fines. The conditions of the poor continued to be a problem.
Social activists in the Progressive Era made strong efforts to improve health and living conditions in the tenements. Some examples of this were Lilian Wald (1867-1940), a nurse, and Jacob Riis (1849-1925), a police reporter. Riis published a book in 1890 called, How the Other Half Lives," which brought much public attention to the problems.
Around the turn of the century, the State of New York passed the Tenement House Act of 1901. This law tightened regulations further, requiring that all new buildings constructed had to have windows facing outside in every room, as well as proper ventilation, toilets, and fire safety precautions.
