Challenges and Progress in Affordable Housing Initiatives

This chapter delves into the challenges faced by the PWA's Housing Division in creating affordable housing during the transition to permanent public housing, including issues with funding, land acquisition, and political influences. It explores the contrast between slum clearance and greenfield development approaches, the intertwined relationship between American housing and slum clearance in the 20th century, and the shift towards affordable housing built by non-profit corporations. The chapter also discusses efforts to address the housing crisis in Harlem during the 1930s through grassroots militancy, elite responses, and the importance of creating mixed-income public developments.