Long before today’s affordable housing crisis, the federal government took direct, large-scale action to house working Americans, and the results were striking. During World War I, the U.S. faced an urgent housing shortage as tens of thousands of industrial workers rushed to shipyards, steel mills, and other defense related industries. In response, Congress and President Woodrow Wilson authorized a bold federal effort to design and build housing for these workers. 

Under the newly created United States Housing Corporation (USHC), the government became, for a brief period, one of the nation’s largest homebuilders, planning and constructing more than 80 communities in 26 states in just two years. These were not hastily assembled barracks but carefully designed neighborhoods with parks, schools, community centers, shops, and full infrastructure, built with thoughtful attention to both function and beauty. 

Drawing inspiration from the Garden City planning movement, USHC architects and planners emphasized healthy, human-scaled neighborhoods,  integrating open space, local character, and a mix of housing types. Streets were laid out to work with natural topography, houses were spaced for light and privacy, and utilities like sewer and water systems were installed to high standards. 

The U.S. Housing Corporation built nearly 300 homes in Bremerton, Wash., during World War I. National Archives

In many communities, workers were initially rented homes at regulated rates, with pathways to eventual ownership through affordable installment plans after the war. This focus on long-term livability and community stability set these developments apart from many later public housing efforts. 

Although the USHC disbanded soon after the war and political support for federal housing waned, many of these neighborhoods still stand today, a largely forgotten legacy of what proactive, government-led housing production can achieve. As current housing shortages deepen across the United States, this chapter of history serves as both a lesson and an inspiration for reimagining how public sector leadership can help address housing needs. 

Read the original article here ➤ Believe it or not, there was a time when the US government built beautiful homes for working-class Americans to deal with a housing shortage (The Conversation).