Housing Conditions in the City of Saint Paul

This study of housing conditions in Saint Paul was the first study conducted by what was then the Wilder Charity. Wilder Charity director Carol Aronovici and his team visited more than 5,000 dwellings that were home to approximately 22,000 people. When the study was published in 1917, its conclusions were shocking. Housing conditions were described as a "menace to the health, safety and privacy of thousands of Saint Paul people." Some sections of the city were described to be "wholly unsuited for human habitation." The findings contained in the report generated enough support and calls for action from the public to cause the enactment of the first Saint Paul housing ordinance in March 1918.