US Housing Authority (USHA) Sites

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.

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...

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...

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...

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 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.

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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. Originally planned as the Amity Village low-income public housing project for Compton as early as 1941, Channel Heights was instead built by the Federal Public Housing Authority (FPHA) in San Pedro for LA harbor warworkers 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, Channel Heights was partially started as a...

The Cheatham Place 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 Court. The Cheatham Place project was a Colonial Revival Style Community Building centered the 352 apartments of 2, 3, and 4 room units, located on 21 acres. The complex was constructed for white families, at a total cost of $2,000,000....

The College Hill Courts public housing complex was undertaken during the Great Depression in Chattanooga, Tennessee with the assistance of funds provided by the United States Housing Authority (USHA). College Hill Courts (black only), 497 units on 20 acres, was constructed in the "restrained Colonial Revival style" (Van West, p. 138) at the same time as nearby East Lake Courts (white only). Combined cost for both projects was $3.8 million. College Hill Courts remained in use until at least September 2014 when the housing authority announced plans to demolish or close the project.

End End Homes was the third public housing project to be completed in Biloxi. Architects Matthes and Landry with John Thomas Collins designed the facility and it was constructed by Currie & Corley. Currie & Corley's bid was $225,576 for the 96 unit facility. Elmer Richards Electric Company secured electrical work for $9,994.50, Patton & Son awarded the plumbing, heating, and sewage contract for $36,990, and Ray V. Pisarich, sewage disposal system for $22,586. The work began Feb. 10, 1941 and was completed later that year. Damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 resulted in demolition and the Cadet Point Senior...

The East Lake Courts public housing complex was undertaken during the Great Depression in Chattanooga, Tennessee with the assistance of funds provided by the United States Housing Authority (USHA). East Lake Courts was constructed in a "restrained Colonial Revival Style" (Van West, p. 138) containing 437 units on 35 acres. The total cost for East Lake (White only) and nearby College Hill Courts (Black only) was $3.8 million. The facility was renovated during the 1990s and remained in use as of September 2014, when plans to demolish or sell were announced.

Estrada Courts 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 in the Boyle Heights neighborhood, Estrada Courts was completed in 1942.  Estrada Courts consisted of 31 frame buildings with lawn and recreational areas. Over 150 homes were expropriated and demolished as part of a “slum clearance" project to make way for the housing development. In...

The Frank Berry Courts were constructed 1939 through the United States Housing Authority. The complex included 95 buildings, 113 dwelling units, of which 77 were 1-family attached units, 36 were 2-family attached units. Most were 5-room units, but some were 4 room and 6 rooms. The buildings were completely rehabilitated and modernized in 2011 through the Department of Housing and Urban Development funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

In 1941-43, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) constructed 10 public housing developments for low-income families, including Hacienda Village—renamed Gonzaque Village in 2000—in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA. All 10 projects, which cost $16 million total, were funded 10% by city bonds and 90% by federal loans from the United States Housing Authority (USHA). To make way for Hacienda Village, 18 homes (11 of which were considered "substandard") were cleared. Construction of the 72-structure development began in late November 1941 and was completed in August 1942, although residents began moving in as early as June....

In 1940-41, the Los Angeles County Housing Authority constructed the Harbor Hills public housing project in Lomita, CA. Partially funded by the United States Housing Authority (USHA), Harbor Hills was the second public housing project in Los Angeles County. Harbor Hills comprised 102 acres overlooking the San Pedro Bay, but only 27-acres were developed because of the difficult topography. (Unlike many other urban renewal projects, no “slums” were cleared for this development.) The 52 one- and two-story brick and concrete buildings included 300 dwelling units, each with a living room, kitchen, dining room, bathroom, and one to three bedrooms. The buildings...

High School Park Homes was one of two public housing projects completed in Lake Charles in 1939. High School Park was 73 dwellings constructed by Robert Angelle for $225,556. The brick duplexes were designed by architects G. Lewis Dunn and Gustave G. Quinn.

Highway Village was built as white public housing. Construction began in December 1939 and was completed January 1941 using United States Housing Authority funding. The triplex units are still extant.

The Iberville Projects public housing was the third of six low-rent public housing developments in New Orleans funded by the United States Housing Act of 1937. The Housing Authority of New Orleans was the first housing administration approved in the US under the Housing Act (Adams, 2014). The 75 building complex resembled rowhouses, and were constructed of brick exteriors with tile roofs, chimneys, and galleries with iron columns and decorative cast iron railing, typical of other New Orleans style architecture. One, two, and three bedroom apartments made up the 858 units completed in 1941. The architects were Herbert A. Benson,...

The United States Housing Authority (USHA) funded the construction of Knox Hill Dwellings in Washington, DC in 1942. The Alley Dwelling Authority (ADA) acted as manager of the development. It is unknown to the Living New Deal if any of the original structures still exist. There appear to be many homes in the vicinity of Knox Terrace SE, and these may have some relation to the original Knox Hill Dwellings. Nearby, the DC Housing Authority manages “Knox Hill,” a housing development for seniors and disabled residents, but this facility looks quite different from the original structures. The USHA was created by the United...

Lafitte project was constructed 1940-1941 and included 896 units. It was the fifth of six local housing units constructed in New Orleans following the Housing Act of 1937. The project was bounded by Lafitte Avenue, Orleans Avenue, North Claiborne and Avenue, and North Dorgenois Street. Architects were Sol Rosenthal, Jack J. H. Kessels, and Ernest W. Jones. R. P. Farnsworth and Company were the contractors for the $4,000,000 project. The units were built in a traditional New Orleans style townhouse with metal balconies and porch columns and railings. The project was originally slated for demolition in 1995 but postponed. It...

Lamar Terrace was the second low-cost housing project for white families in Memphis. It contained 478 units, and cost $2,500,000. It was demolished in 2005.

The Langston Terrace Dwellings, a large-scale public housing project, was built under the New Deal from 1935 to 1938.  It was the first U.S. Government-funded public housing project in Washington DC and only the second in the nation.  Initial funding came from the Public Works Administration (PWA); later the U.S. Housing Authority stepped in to complete the job. The International Style complex was designed by prominent African-American architect Hilyard Robinson, a native Washingtonian. With its handsome art and style, it embodied Robinson's belief in the ability of fine buildings and art to inspire and uplift residents. Construction began in 1935, with African...

Located on 26 acres, containing 60 buildings and 500 apartments, and with a cost of $1,446,043, the facility was constructed for occupancy by African Americans. In 1942, $1,500,000 was expended to add 100 2-story units encompassing an additional 15 acres to house African American war workers.

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 Alley Dwelling Authority (ADA) and the United States Housing Authority (USHA) funded the construction of the Lincoln Height Dwellings in Washington, DC, 1943-1946. Today, the DC Housing Authority manages “Lincoln Heights,” which is probably located on the same area as the original Lincoln Heights Dwellings. It is unknown to the Living New Deal if any 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...

Littlepage was the first low income development built in West Virginia. Littlepage Terrace was the second WPA public housing project for low income residents authorized in West Virginia and was designated Project No. WVA 1-2; however, delays acquiring the land for Washington Manor (WVA 1-1) resulted it the completion of Littlepage Terrace first. Littlepage Manor and property were bought in 1938. Construction began in 1940, with the housing project opening later that year. The eight building complex for white housing. The project was demolished in the first decade of the 2000s and replaced with modern low income housing after the completion of...

The Magnolia Housing Project was one of the first two planned for New Orleans. The original 740 units in one, two, and three story buildings included one, two, and three bedroom apartments. The chief architect was Moise H. Goldstein, with supportive architects Thomas Harlee, Frederick Parham, N. Courtlandt Curtis, Richard Koch, and Charles Armstrong. Construction was completed by R. P. Farnsworth Company. Jens-Braae-Jensen, structural engineer, Frank Chisholm, mechanical engineer, Orloff Henry, electrical engineer, William Wiedorn, landscape architect, and Frank Hugh Waddill, civil engineer were also part of the construction and design crew. Magnolia was completed in 1941 for $2,478,980. The...

In 1942-43, the Los Angeles County Housing Authority constructed the Maravilla housing project in East Los Angeles, CA with funding from the United States Housing Authority (USHA). Prominent architectural firms Walker & Eisen, Hibbard & Gerity, Hunt & Chambers were all involved in designing the development. Plans for Maravilla had first been made in 1938, but it took years for construction to commence due to resistance from the local Mexican community. Although the neighborhood was indisputably underserved and under-resourced, wary homeowners were offered less than their homes were worth and threatened by government appraisers. There were additional fears that they would...

The 96-unit public housing was constructed for African-Americans during the Great Depression. It was demolished following damage from a tornado in 2003.