United States Housing Act of 1937

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The United States Housing Act of 1937 is a landmark federal law that established the public housing program in the United States, providing subsidies to local housing authorities to build and manage affordable housing for low-income families.


Statements (48)
Predicate Object
instanceOf New Deal legislation
United States federal statute
housing law
administeredBy United States Housing Authority
alsoKnownAs Wagner–Steagall Act
amendedBy Housing Act of 1949
Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965
Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998
codifiedAt Title 42 of the United States Code
congressNumber 75th United States Congress
containsProvision federal-local partnership structure for housing development
income eligibility limits for tenants
low-rent housing requirement
rent ceilings for public housing units
country United States
created United States Housing Authority
dateEnacted 1937-09-01
established system of local public housing agencies
establishedProgram federal public housing program
fundingMechanism annual contributions contracts
historicalSignificance first permanent federal commitment to subsidized housing in the United States
influenced development of public housing projects across the United States
laterAdministeredBy Department of Housing and Urban Development
Public Housing Administration
mechanism contracts with local public housing agencies
namedAfter Henry B. Steagall
Robert F. Wagner
partOf New Deal
policyArea housing
urban development
president Franklin D. Roosevelt
provides federal subsidies to local public housing agencies
publicLawNumber Public Law 75-412
purpose to eradicate unsafe and unsanitary housing conditions
to establish a federal public housing program
to provide decent, safe, and sanitary dwellings for low-income families
to reduce unemployment through housing construction
replaced earlier temporary New Deal housing programs
requires demolition or removal of substandard dwellings in connection with new public housing
section Section 8
section8Description authorizes housing assistance payments for low-income families
shortName Housing Act of 1937
signedBy Franklin D. Roosevelt
sponsor Henry B. Steagall
Robert F. Wagner
targetPopulation low-income families
low-income individuals
yearEnacted 1937


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