Who lives in SRO housing?
SRO housing provides residents with a single room. They usually share a bathroom and sometimes a common kitchen area. In the West Side of Manhattan, most SRO units are located in residential hotels. In other boroughs, and in other parts of Manhattan, most notably in Harlem, SRO housing usually means a 12 to 24-unit brownstone, often converted long ago from a single-family residence to a rooming house. Most people who live in SRO housing have incomes of under $10,000 per year, and 50% pay more than half of their income as rent. About two out of five are employed, and most of the others are disabled or retired. About 20% of SRO residents receive the public-assistance shelter allowance of $215 per month. Typical rents range from $90 to $125 per week. Roots of Conflict In Manhattan the conflict between SRO landlords and tenants is focused on the conversion of SRO housing to other uses: tourists, students, or conversion to apartments. A large number of SRO hotels have recently changed hands
