how do you think riis’s account might have contributed to social reforms for tenement housing?

Jacob Riis's account significantly contributed to social reforms for tenement housing by exposing the appalling living conditions in New York City's slums through his journalism and pioneering photography. His work, especially the publication of "How the Other Half Lives" in 1890, brought public attention to overcrowded, unsanitary, and unsafe tenements, fueling legislative and civic efforts to improve housing conditions. Riis collaborated with city officials, including then Police Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt, advocating for changes such as the closure of unhealthy lodging houses and the establishment of the Tenement House Commission in 1884, which worked toward better building regulations and public health measures. His efforts helped promote "model tenements" and reforms that improved sanitation, reduced overcrowding, and addressed homelessness and disease in impoverished neighborhoods, sparking a more sustained reform movement in urban housing.