THE PUBLIC HOUSING DEBATE CONTENTS: Introduction Does Texas need public housing? Problems facing public housing The past: Beginnings of public housing Public Works Administration builds public housing Housing Act of 1937 Public housing in Texas Special interest, race and local control Solutions to fix public housing Postscript: Allen Parkway Village today For more information TxLIHIS' work in public housing copyright 1998 Texas Low Income Housing Information Service

The past: public housing in Texas Austin and Lyndon Johnson begin public housing The first public housing in the nation created under the 1937 Housing Act was built in Texas due to the efforts of the ambitious young congressman from Austin, Lyndon Johnson. Johnson followed the 1937 housing legislation and as soon as it passed he persuaded United States Housing Authority administrator Nathan Strauss and President Roosevelt that Austin should be the site of the first public housing development built under the 1937 Housing Act. But Johnson first faced a fight back home over public housing. White citizens and slum property owners opposed the proposal for public housing. Johnson and New Deal Austin Mayor Tom Miller tapped respected Austin businessman EH Perry to head up the all white board of commissioners of the new Austin Public Housing Authority. The projects were to be slum clearance developments as much as public housing. The supporters promised to demolish one slum house for each new unit of public housing constructed. But this ran contrary to the economic interests of slumlords and contrary to the political values of many conservative white Austinites. Only with the support of white business leaders like Perry and after a contentious town meetings and an impassioned radio address did Johnson secure enough political support to move forward with the project. To accommodate local segregationist desires the first project was actually 3 projects: one for whites, one for African Americans and one for Hispanics. Each project was located in an existing segregated neighborhood. The housing project for Hispanics - Santa Rita Courts was the first public housing development completed under the 1937 housing act and opened in Austin in 1938. Lyndon Johnson (2nd from left) watches as US Housing Administrator Nathan Strauss authorizes new public housing projects. (photo: LBJ Library) E. H. Perry, chair of the Austin Housing Authority, lays bricks at the Rosewood Public Housing project in Austin in 1940. (photo: LBJ Library) Austin Congressman Lyndon Johnson with children of the first family to move into public housing in Austin, 1939. (photo: LBJ Library) War worker housing and the Lanham Act