Housing Programs Sites

The Alley Dwelling Authority (ADA) and the Federal Works Agency (FWA) funded the construction of the 21st Street Houses in Washington, DC in 1943. This development of 36 living units was built for African American national defense workers (Washington, DC was highly segregated at the time). It is unknown to the Living New Deal if any of the structures still exist, but it is not likely since these homes were classified as “demountable,” i.e., intended to be taken down and salvaged sometime after the war. The ADA was one of the earliest New Deal initiatives to provide better housing for low-income Americans. It...

The Alley Dwelling Authority (ADA) and the Federal Works Agency (FWA) funded the construction of the 25th Street Houses in Washington, DC in 1944. This development of 40 living units was built for white national defense workers (Washington, DC was highly segregated at the time). It is unknown to the Living New Deal if any of the structures still exist, but it is not likely since these homes were classified as “demountable,” i.e., intended to be taken down and salvaged sometime after the war. The ADA was one of the earliest New Deal initiatives to provide better housing for low-income Americans. It replaced...

The Alley Dwelling Authority (ADA) and the Federal Works Agency (FWA) funded the construction of the 35th Street Houses in Washington, DC in 1943. This development of 75 living units was built for white national defense workers (Washington, DC was highly segregated at the time). It is unknown to the Living New Deal if any of the structures still exist, but it is not likely since these homes were classified as “demountable,” i.e., intended to be taken down and salvaged sometime after the war. The ADA was one of the earliest New Deal initiatives to provide better housing for low-income Americans. It replaced...

Originally named Newport News Homesteads, "Aberdeen Gardens was a New Deal planned community initiated by Hampton Institue (now Hampton University), designed specifically for the resettlement of African-American workers in Newport News and Hampton. In 1934, the Hampton Institute secured a $245,000 federal grant to create the housing development. It was the only Resettlement Administration community for blacks in Virginia and only the second neighborhood in the nation for blacks financed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Subsistence Homestead Project. The Aberdeen neighborhood was designed by Hillyard R. Robertson, a black architect from Howard University. It became a model resettlement community in the United States. Charles Duke, a black architect, was name architect-in-charge...

San Antonio's Board of Commissioners created the San Antonio Housing Authority (SAHA) on June 17, 1937. On September 1, 1937, President Roosevelt signed the United States Housing Act of 1937. This created the United States Housing Authority (USHA) and provided $500 million for subsidies to be paid from the U.S. government to local public housing agencies (LHAs) like SAHA to improve living conditions for low-income families. SAHA made applications to the USHA for funds and the USHA agreed to provide financing for five projects; Alazan Courts, Apache Courts, Lincoln Heights Courts, Wheatley Courts and Victoria Courts. San Antonio enforced segregation in...

Aliso Village was the tenth and final development in Los Angeles, CA to be completed under the city’s New Deal–era public housing program. In 1941-43, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) constructed 10 public housing developments for $16 million, funded 10% by city bonds and 90% by federal loans from the United States Housing Authority (USHA). Located in the Boyle Heights neighborhood, Aliso Village was the largest housing project west of the Mississippi upon its completion in 1943. In 1941, HACLA cleared 417 structures in an area of Boyle Heights known as “the Flats” or “Russia Town.”...

This 100-unit public housing complex was constructed for whites during the era of segregation. Allenton Heights was located on larger, landscaped lots on 13 acres with open space.  Units contained a back yard with clotheslines (which are still in use today) and a front yard with grassy lawns and shade trees. After the PWA public housing programs were expanded and the U. S. Housing Authority was created, public housing expanded in Tennessee. Allenton Heights was started in December 1940.  Algernon Blair was construction company, and construction superintendent estimated employment of 150 on both Allenton Heights and Merry Lane Court.  Allenton Heights was projected...

The Andrew Jackson Courts public housing complex was undertaken in Nashville, Tennessee  following the passage of the Housing Act of 1937 and establishment of the United States Housing Authority (USHA). The USHA worked in conjunction with the Public Works Administration (PWA) in providing funds for local housing development projects, two of which were the segregated communities of Cheatham Place and Andrew Jackson Courts. The rowhouse appearance, clustered two-story houses were constructed for African American residents. The 398 unit buildings cost $1,890,000. They remain in use today.

The Alley Dwelling Authority (ADA) and the Federal Works Agency (FWA) funded the construction of the Anthony Bowen Houses in Washington, DC in 1943. This development of 86 living units was built for African American national defense workers (Washington, DC was highly segregated at the time). It is unknown to the Living New Deal if any of the structures still exist, but it is not likely since these homes were classified as “demountable,” i.e., intended to be taken down and salvaged sometime after the war. The ADA was one of the earliest New Deal initiatives to provide better housing for low-income Americans. It...

San Antonio's Board of Commissioners created the San Antonio Housing Authority (SAHA) on June 17, 1937. On September 1, 1937, President Roosevelt signed the United States Housing Act of 1937. This created the United States Housing Authority (USHA) and provided $500 million for subsidies to be paid from the U.S. government to local public housing agencies (LHAs) like SAHA to improve living conditions for low-income families. SAHA made applications to the USHA for funds and the USHA agreed to provide financing for five projects; Alazan Courts, Apache Courts, Lincoln Heights Courts, Wheatley Courts and Victoria Courts. San Antonio enforced segregation in...

"The Ashwood community was created by the New Deal resettlement program to convert defunct plantation or farm land into a self-sustaining community of independent farms with educational, agricultural, and commercial support facilities."

"The Ashwood School Gymnasium and Auditorium is situated south of Bishopville, South Carolina just off U.S. Highway 15 on Ashwood School Road near Ashwood Lake, all namesakes and products of the rural New Deal resettlement community of 'Ashwood Plantation.' The gymnasium/auditorium was completed in December of 1938 for a total cost of $63,888.81 by the Goode Company of Charlotte, North Carolina, contracted by the Farm Security Administration." (NRHP Registration Form)

Avalon Gardens was one of the developments in Los Angeles, CA completed under the city’s New Deal–era public housing program. In 1941-43, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) constructed 10 public housing developments for $16 million, funded 10% by city bonds and 90% by federal loans from the United States Housing Authority (USHA). Located on 14.9 acres of land in southeast Los Angeles, Avalon Gardens was constructed between November 1941 and April 1942. It received additional funding from the Federal Housing Authority (FHA). Avalon Gardens featured 62 frame-and-stucco bungalow-style residences, including apartment buildings, scattered single-family homes, and...

The Babbin Farm is an example of the work of the Resettlement Administration in getting families off the relief rolls and back to farming. An article in the July 1 1937 Bangor Daily News reports on two families, the Babbins and Holmquists who were helped. The article mentions that a million farm families were on the relief rolls as the depression came on. “It was during this crisis that the government came to the conclusion that in most cases a more ideal and beneficial situation exists when the farmer is helped to help himself himself than by parceling out of direct...

In 1942-43, the federal government constructed five temporary wartime defense housing projects operated by the Housing Authority of Los Angeles (HACLA) under the Lanham Act of 1940 for $13.5 million. Considered one of the largest in San Pedro, Banning Homes was built by the Federal Public Housing Authority (FPHA) for war workers in the San Pedro harbor area in 1943. With the military and the United States Housing Authority (USHA) merging housing efforts into the FPHA as the U.S. entered World War II in early 1942, Banning Homes was partially started as a New Deal project. Banning Homes, half a mile...

The Alley Dwelling Authority (ADA) and the United States Housing Authority (USHA) funded the construction of the Barry Farm Dwellings in Washington, DC between 1941 and 1943. The ADA was one of the earliest New Deal initiatives to provide better housing for low-income Americans. It replaced unsafe alley dwellings in Washington, DC with more modern and affordable houses and apartments. The ADA existed from 1934-1943 as a federally controlled special authority. It then slowly evolved into today’s DC Housing Authority, an independent agency of the DC Government. Beginning in December 1941, the ADA was ordered to prioritize housing for war workers. Barry Farm...

The Alley Dwelling Authority (ADA) funded the construction of an administration and community building for the Barry Farm Dwellings and surrounding community, ca. 1941-1943. It is unknown to the Living New Deal if this building still exists. The ADA was one of the earliest New Deal initiatives to provide better housing for low-income Americans. It replaced unsafe alley dwellings in Washington, DC with more modern and affordable houses and apartments. The ADA existed from 1934-1943 as a federally controlled special authority. It then slowly evolved into today’s DC Housing Authority, an independent agency of the DC Government. The Barry Farm Dwellings Administration and...

Bayou Auguste Homes for African Americans was completed 1941 in the 600 block of Roy Street. John Thomas Collins was supervising architect and construction was by Pittman Brothers.

Bayview Homes was constructed 1941 in the 400 block of Braun Avenue. John Thomas Collins was the supervising architect and Pittman Brothers construction built the facility.

Beacon Homes for white families was begun in 1939 with clearance of sub-standard housing. The project included 45 buildings of 3 1/2 and 5 1/2 room units on Beacon Street, now renamed Leontyne Price Boulevard. Designed by architects Landry and Matthes, low bid was awarded to W. J. McGee and Son for $466,943. Beacon Homes was the first low-rent housing project in Mississippi. Plans called for construction of one-story duplex dwellings and two-story row houses, with brick walls on hollow tile backup, concrete first floors and wood second floors, pitched roofs with cement asbestos shingles, and gas-fired space heaters. The...

Bedford Dwellings was the first of Pittsburgh Housing Authority’s construction of low-cost housing. Dr. B. J. Hovde, the administrator, announced the contract would be awarded to Ring Construction Company with the low bid for the 420 units at $1,173,000. The completed project was proposed to cost $2,560,000 and cover a 20-acre site on Bedford Avenue. Low bidders on plumbing work was Moss and Blakely, heating was George H. Soffel and Company, and electrical was Sargent Engineering Company. Lumber and millwork was awarded to Atlas Lumber and Supply Company. Bedford Dwellings were ready for occupancy March 1, 1940 and able to...

The Farm Security Administration commissioned this mural in 1937-38 to commemorate the New Deal resettlement community of Jersey Homesteads, now called Roosevelt, N.J. The mural can still be seen in the Roosevelt Public School. "Ben Shahn's mural for the community center at Jersey Homesteads, Roosevelt, is a fresco - a painting done on fresh, moist plaster with pigments dissolved in water. It depicts the life of Jewish immigrants coming to America in the 1930s. Shahn was an American Social Realist painter. His paintings often focused specifically on social problems and the hardships of everyday life. His work was influenced by Diego Rivera,...

The Alley Dwelling Authority (ADA) and the Federal Works Agency (FWA) funded the construction of the Benning Road Houses in Washington, DC in 1943. This development of 138 living units was built for white national defense workers (Washington, DC was highly segregated at the time). It is unknown to the Living New Deal if any of the structures still exist, but it is not likely since these homes were classified as “demountable,” i.e., intended to be taken down and salvaged sometime after the war. The ADA was one of the earliest New Deal initiatives to provide better housing for low-income Americans. It replaced...

The Booker T. Washington Courts was one of two rural public housing projects constructed in Lake Charles in 1939-1941. Architects G. Lewis Dunn and Gustave G. Quinn designed the complex initially as barracks-type housing, which was rejected for one-story duplexes. T. Miller and Sons constructed the project at a cost of $238,397. The 72-unit complex was demolished in 2013 and replaced.

The Alley Dwelling Authority (ADA) funded the construction of the Brown’s Court Garages in Washington, DC between 1935 and 1936. These were located on Brown’s Court SE, and were leased by a funeral home for some period of time. Though there are several garages on Brown’s Court SE today, it is unknown to the Living New Deal if any of them are related to the original structures. The ADA was one of the earliest New Deal initiatives to provide better housing for low-income Americans. It replaced unsafe alley dwellings in Washington, DC with more modern and affordable houses and apartments. The ADA existed...

The Alley Dwelling Authority (ADA) and the Federal Works Agency (FWA) funded the construction of the Bryant Street Houses in Washington, DC in 1943. This development of 32 living units was built for African American national defense workers (Washington, DC was highly segregated at the time). It is unknown to the Living New Deal if any of the structures still exist, but it is not likely since these homes were classified as “demountable,” i.e., intended to be taken down and salvaged sometime after the war. The ADA was one of the earliest New Deal initiatives to provide better housing for low-income Americans. It...

Burglund Heights, a public low-income housing complex for African Americans, was begun January 17, 1940. Thirteen buildings were planned to house 76 families, at a projected cost of $231,670. M. T. Reed Construction Company built the units. Work crew included 300 mechanics and laborers. The units were proposed to address inadequate living conditions for both black and white families in McComb, including lack of indoor toilets, running water, and houses in dilapidated condition. Construction was scheduled for completion August 1, 1940 and occupancy began September 1 with an average monthly rental of $11.00 including rent and utilities. The two-story brick units...

The federal government participated in what was known as the "Burlington Project," a homestead /resettlement development for destitute rural families.  This project was most likely approved under the Subsistence Homestead Program of the Department of the Interior (1933-1935) and finished under the Farm Security Administration (FSA, 1937-46)  The project was designed to help struggling miners: "35 lignite coal miners got eight-acre farms for growing vegetables to augment their miner's income."  The plan included constructing an irrigation system based around dam-developed reservoirs, enabling homesteading and the sale of crops grown on the properties. The New Deal's Civil Works Administration (CWA) constructed at...

Butler Place Public Housing Complex in Fort Worth was built with PWA U.S. Housing Authority funds in 1939-40 . It is still in use and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011. It was one of two PWA New Deal housing projects in Fort Worth. Ripley Arnold was for whites and Butler Place was for blacks. Ripley Arnold has been demolished. The National Register nomination describes the design and significance of the project: "The Butler Place Public Housing Project was one of fifty‐two Public Works Administration low‐income housing projects built in the United States. The complex is significant...

"Cahaba Homestead Village (usually Cahaba Village, listed as the Cahaba Homestead Village Historic District). is a planned residential development located on the banks of the Cahaba River north of downtown Trussville (map). It was constructed between 1936 and 1938 by the Resettlement Administration on the site of the original Trussville Furnace. Originally called "Slagheap Village" because of the large slag piles covering the site, Cahaba Village became a distinct and active community during World War II. It was incorporated, along with "Old Trussville" into the City of Trussville in 1947... The design was approved in 1936 and constructed over the following...

Originally known as Slagheap, "Cahaba Homestead Village (usually Cahaba Village, listed as the Cahaba Homestead Village Historic District), is a planned residential development located on the banks of the Cahaba River north of downtown Trussville (map). It was constructed between 1936 and 1938 by the Resettlement Administration on the site of the original Trussville Furnace. Originally called "Slagheap Village" because of the large slag piles covering the site, Cahaba Village became a distinct and active community during World War II. It was incorporated, along with "Old Trussville" into the City of Trussville in 1947."   (wikipedia)

The Calliope projects were constructed as the fourth of six housing projects developed for New Orleans, 1939-1941. The original boundaries were South Dorgenois Street, Erato Street, Calliope Street (now Earhart Boulevard), and South Prieur Street. The George A. Fuller Company was awarded the contract for construction of the 690 apartment units. The $2,497,000 bid covered demolition of existing buildings, construction, plumbing, heating, electrical work and site improvement. As with the other public housing complexes, the units were demolished with the exception of two residential buildings and the former administration building. The administration building faces Earhart Boulevard and the residential buildings...

This 1935 Colony House was built as part of the New Deal resettlement program that brought colonists from Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin to Palmer Alaska in 1935. The building has recently been restored and accepted to the National Register of Historic Places. It is also the recent Recipient of the 2013 Alaska Association for Historic Preservation Award of Excellence.

The Alley Dwelling Authority (ADA) and the Federal Works Agency (FWA) funded the construction of the Canal Street Houses in Washington, DC in 1943. This development of 20 living units was built for white national defense workers (Washington, DC was highly segregated at the time). It is unknown to the Living New Deal if any of the structures still exist, but it is not likely since these homes were classified as “demountable,” i.e., intended to be taken down and salvaged sometime after the war. The ADA was one of the earliest New Deal initiatives to provide better housing for low-income Americans. It replaced...

In 1939-40, the Los Angeles County Housing Authority constructed the Carmelitos public housing project in Long Beach, CA. Partially funded by the United States Housing Authority (USHA), Carmelitos was the first public housing project in Southern California.  Between August 1939 and November 1940, 87 structures were constructed on 50 acres. These included a community building and 86 one- and two-story residences comprising 607 units total. A second phase of construction in 1943 added 47 buildings (130 units) on 14 additional acres. The concrete-and-steel and wood-and-stucco buildings were painted soft green, yellow, pink, blue and white with darker shades around the bases. In...

Large development of 2 and 3-story apartments just west of downtown St. Louis, interestingly just east of the up-coming and infamous Pruitt –Igoe public housing complex. Carr-Square Village is still in use, a testament to its forethought and sound construction. Although it is 80 years old and has been through a tumultuous time, the units are in good condition and the area seems to be relatively safe. It is in a muti-block area of the city of St. Louis and when constructed was the black public housing complex (the white being Clinton-Peabody). It was developed at the time that the...

The Alley Dwelling Authority (ADA) and the United States Housing Authority (USHA) funded the construction of the Carrollsburg Dwellings in Washington, DC between 1940 and 1941. Carrollsburg Dwellings continue as public housing today, but it appears that only a few of the original structures still exist. The ADA was one of the earliest New Deal initiatives to provide better housing for low-income Americans. It replaced unsafe alley dwellings in Washington, DC with more modern and affordable houses and apartments. The ADA existed from 1934-1943 as a federally controlled special authority. It then slowly evolved into today’s DC Housing Authority, an independent agency of...

In 1935, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) set up Camp F-40 at the Provo Fairgrounds (now the Provo Airport).  It was a permanent camp with wooden buildings that operated until 1941.  It housed CCC Company 958, which moved there from Camp F-30 in Hobble Creek Canyon -- first in the winters of 1934 and 1935, then full time from 1936 on. The letter F meant that CCC projects at this camp were carried out under the direction of the US Forest Service, in what was then the Wasatch National Forest (now Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest). The name "Rock Canyon" may be a...

The creation of the Cedars of Lebanon State Park in Tennessee was a multifaceted joint project of the Resettlement Administration, the CCC, the forestry division, NPS and the WPA: "Project development began in the fall of 1935, with forestry personnel, along with RA and CCC workers, planting new seedlings of juniper cedar, black walnut, black locust, ash, yellow poplar, and mulberry trees. The crews introduced erosion controls and built roads and trails... The WPA constructed recreational facilities, including picnic areas, overlook shelters on the Jackson Cave Trail, and the original park lodge. Lebanon Cedar Forest was officially opened in September 1937...

On September 1, 1937, President Roosevelt signed the United States Housing Act of 1937. This created the United States Housing Authority (USHA) and provided $500 million for subsidies to be paid from the U.S. government to local public housing agencies (LHAs) to improve living conditions for low-income families. The Austin City Council established the Austin Housing Authority on December 27, 1937. The housing authority made an application to the USHA for $500,000 to build 186 units of public housing at three sites. Austin’s housing agency became the first in the country to receive funding and to start construction on its USHA...