Untitled Document

A Housing Shortage and a Question

Workers finished construction on the Amsterdam Houses in December, 1947, in the middle of a severe housing crisis. New York had seen little construction during the Great Depression (1929 – 1940) and demand for Amsterdam Houses’ 1,084 apartment was high. Who would get to live in this modern building with so much open space?

The New York City Housing Authority, founded in 1934, had faced this question before. Although public housing aimed to provide decent, modern housing for those with low-incomes, the selection of tenants in the early years was rigorous. Many, in fact, thought the admission requirements were unfair, and the vast majority of those who applied were turned down. Those requirement stated that the only eligible families were those who had at least one member who was a U.S citizen, that had a bank account and insurance, and whose income fell within certain multiple of the rent. The New York City Housing Authority, founded in 1934, had faced this question before. Although public housing aimed to provide decent, modern housing for those with low-incomes, the selection of tenants in the early years was rigorous. Many, in fact, thought the admission requirements were unfair, and the vast majority of those who applied were turned down. Those requirement stated that the only eligible families were those who had at least one member who was a U.S citizen, that had a bank account and insurance, and whose income fell within certain multiple of the rent.

By the time the Amsterdam Houses opened up, however, the tenant selection was a very different from the process when NYCHA established its first development in 1935. The Housing Act of 1949 amended the United States Housing law of 1937. This new gave first preference to those who where displaced by the construction of any low-rent public housing, slum-clearances or any redevelopment project after January 1, 1947. Second preference now, however, would go to veterans or servicemen of the United States military.

Veterans could also have larger incomes than other groups and still be eligible for public housing . Under the New York State Public Housing Law, section 156, veterans with a family could be eligible for public housing if their income was less than seven times the monthly rent of their apartment ; and a veteran with a family with more then four dependents could earn eight times the monthly rent and still be eligible for admission. In contrast, non-veterans with families of any size were ineligible for public housing if their income exceeded seven times the rent and those without families became ineligible once their incomes exceeded six times the monthly rent.

And so veterans not only moved to the front of the line for public housing, the selection process was more generous for them than non-veterans.