| The past: United States Housing Act of 1937 |
|||||||||
| Recognizing that the special interests and the courts would block
a national program to build and operate housing for the poor the
Roosevelt Administration sought to define a housing policy around
decidedly conservative approaches. It would seek to link any low
income housing built directly to the elimination of slums in the
cities and to the creation of jobs and local business opportunities. The beginnings of today's public housing can be traced to the Wagner-Steagle Housing Act of 1937 which established the United States Housing Administration (Authority). |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
| The act required that the construction of new public housing units
be matched by the removal of an equal number of substandard dwellings
from the local housing supply. This meant that, in deference to
the real estate and home building interests, the federal housing
program would increase the quality of housing without increasing
the quantity. Maximum incomes for people residing in public housing were set at very low levels to address the concerns of real estate interests who feared the new housing would compete with the private sector. Finally, and most importantly, the federal government, in keeping with the rulings of the courts, would provide the money for housing, but the initiative for the housing and the ownership and operation of the housing would be the responsibility of a local entity known as a public housing authority, appointed by local elected officials. |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
| Slum housing demolished to build public housing in Fort Worth. The 1937 Housing Act required the demolition of slum housing before public housing could be built. This was designed to prevent public housing from driving down housing costs charged by slum landlords. (photo: National Archives) | |||||||||
 |
|||||||||
| Houston Housing Authority Commissioners, circa 1950. (photo: Houston Public Library) | |||||||||
 |
|||||||||
Political compromise shapes public housing |
|||||||||