Report: Chinatown housing substandard

As if this would really come as a surprise to anyone who has spent time on Grant or Stockton Streets... Today's Examiner has a study on why Chinatown's housing is substandard.

"The most common violations reported by occupants included bugs and rodents, noise, second-hand smoke and a lack of heat. Dust mites, mold, poor ventilation and leaky ceilings were also present, according to the report. Many of the violations can affect health, the report states, with asthma, tuberculosis, lead poisoning and injury the main worries."

In my opinion, this is something that is a direct result of rent control and the difficult process involved with getting capital improvement pass-throughs approved. Then again, maybe it's just a case of complete landlord apathy? Many of these buildings have been owned outright by generation after generation of families. Some landlords own many buildings in this neighborhood. Unlike a newer owner who might struggle to make both mortgage payments and provide proper upkeep, many owners in Chinatown are profiting greatly from long-term ownership (read:ultra-low property taxes due to Proposition 13), and could feasibly afford to provide a better standard of living.

"For example, Xiao Qiong Tan, who lives with her two daughters and husband in a $600-a- month studio at Washington and Stockton streets, said through an interpreter she worries about the garbage that overflows from the common kitchen in her building. But she has not told her landlord or authorities."