The Rent Crisis of 1892
How a post-boom construction surge finally brought relief to Seattle's cramped and overcharged renters.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The rapid increase in the number of small dwelling-houses all over the city during the last two years has had a marked effect, not only in reducing house rents, but in making it possible to get furnished rooms at reasonable rates. Two years ago, Seattle was almost penned up between Fourteenth street on the east, Jackson on the south, and Depot on the north. In those days, a small, poorly constructed house, in a locality none too desirable, would rent for from $20 to $25 a month, and rents of $35 at $40 were common. Every house was crowded, and people who in Eastern homes were accustomed to plenty of room found themselves compelled to share a home of moderate size with one or more families. Today, nearly enough houses are built to give every family at least a small one; and consequently, a single man can get a good furnished room in almost any part of Seattle at a fair price.
“Every house was crowded, and people who in Eastern homes were accustomed to plenty of room found themselves compelled to share a home of moderate size with one or more families.”
In 1892, Seattle’s rent crisis was resolved by a rapid expansion of the housing stock, a century-old precursor to current debates over density and supply. While today's market is far more complex, the historical cycle of rapid population growth outstripping housing—and the subsequent building boom—remains a persistent feature of the city's growth.
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