U.S./F'ederal Works Agency.
Work Projects Administration
Readers for Adults
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SUGGESTIONS TO TEICHFR5
READERS FOR ADULTS
Foundation Fields
LEVELS I and III
ADULT EDUCATION UNIT
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION
"feul Edwards, Administrator
Introduction
This folder is prepared as a suggestive guide to
teachers using the nine first level and the one third
level readers constructed by the Adult Education Unit
of the District of Columbia Work Projects Administra¬
tion. These suggestions are not binding upon the
users. However, they do follow sound educational
principles and have been effectively used in literacy
work in the District of Columbia.
Construction
All of the readers are constructed in accordance
with the basic principles of WPA Education Circular
No. 10. These readers are prepared primarily for the
teaching of silent reading.
Each of the first level readers is divided into
eighteen units (a unit is a section of the reader
which might make up one or more lessons). A maximum
of six words is introduced in each unit of the first
level readers except the sixth, the twelfth and the
eighteenth units. These units are for review pur¬
poses and each one contains all of the words intro¬
duced in the preceding units. The introduction of
new words per unit ranges from 3 to 6 in number. 1/
A maximum of eight new words on a third level of
reading difficulty is introduced in each unit of the
third level readers. The range is from 6 to 8 words
per unit. The third level readers follow the same
general construction as the first level readers, ex¬
cept for the fact that the review units are the fifth,
tenth and fifteenth.
Usage
In our use of these materials, five reading ap¬
proaches are used in presenting the various units of
1/ " Good Health " and " Stephen Foster Songs " are
exceptions.
each reader. 1/ They are (i) word-picture {<.) experi¬
ence (3) discussion (4) story (5) composite. Each
approach is decided upon on the basis of unit content,
the type of reading disabilities encountered, and the
availability of supplies and equipment.
The word-picture and the experience approaches
proved to be the most usable. However, we discovered
that no matter which approach is used, some type of
discussion becomes a part of it. It is oub further
experience that the new words in each reader should
be mastered before the student is allowed to read the
unit from the book.
Materials and Activiti.es
Flash cards, mounted picture cards, phrase cards,
and word building exorcises may be used to teach mas¬
tery of the new words in each unit. Elliptical sen¬
tence exercises, truu-false work-sheets, and chart or
blackboard reading may be used to test for comprehen¬
sion.
Pictures Used
Pictures used in most of our presentations were
cut from magazines, newspapers, pamphlets and other
periodicals. They were mounted upon oak tag (tag
board) 8-| x 11 inches, with enough margin left at the
bottom for the necessary lettering.
Acknowle dgmsnt3
Acknowledgments are hereby made to Mrs. Helen
Duey Hoffman of the Washington Housing Association
and to Drs. Frank Horn and William H. Cary of the
United States Housing Authority for invaluable tech¬
nical service and criticism of the manuscript of the
reader, " Houses For All The authenticity of this
reader is based upon their many services.
1/ Described in " Teachers Manual ", for the reader
"We Live Together"-District of Columbia - Adult
Education Unit - Work Projects Administration.
READERS PREPARED BY THE
ADULT EDUCATION UNIT
First Level
I WORK
WE BUY
WE PLAY
OUR HOI-IE AND FAMILY
Second Level
STEPHEN FOSTER SONGS
Third Level
HOUSES FOR ALL
In Process of Publication
HAPPY HOMES
GETTING A JOB
OUR GOVERNMENT
WE LIVE TOGETHER
GOOD HEALTH
WE LIVE AND GROW
WE BUY AND SELL
READERS FOR ADULTS
A series of readers is being
prepared in accordance yrith the
Technical Series Bulletin No. 10
of the Education Division of trie
Work Projects Administration.
The Readers -will be developed
in many fields of adult interests
and at different levels of read¬
ing ability.
HOUSES FOR ALL
James A. Pawley
Assisted by
Marion DuBois
Curriculum Specialists
ILLUSTRATIONS BY
Melvin D. Buckner
Ellen V. Sobotka
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
WORE PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION
Paul Edwards, Administrator
1940
CONTENTS
UNIT PAGE
1. WE NEED SAFE AND COMFORT¬
ABLE HOMES 4
2. WE WANT SAFE AND COMFORT¬
ABLE HOMES 8
3. WE CHOOSE OUR HOLE . . 12
4. WE NEED TO KNOW THE LAW . 15
5- WE MUST HELP OURSELVES . . 19
6. THE FOUR D's OF HOUSING . 24
7. WE MUST NOT HAVE BAD
HOUSING . . ... 29
3. GOOD HOMES HELP OUR
CHILDREN 34
9. HOUSING FOR COUNTRY PEOPLE 39
CONTENTS
UNIT
PACE
10. WE MUST HELF EACH OTHER . , 44
11. A MILLION NEW FE4CES TO
12. WHAT OTHERS HAVE LONE .... 55
13. OUR GOVERNMENT HELPS ... 60
14. WHAT WE CAN DO 67
1 5. WE MUST DO ALL WE CAN . . 72
Page 36, last sentence should read: "If there are
dirt, trash and bad sanitary conditions in cur
homes, they will have a bad effect upon our child-
ren".
Page 57, lines 14-15 should read: "Each of us wants
space, comforts and privacy in his home".
Page 53, first sentence should read: "We had better
get together and do something about housing in
this town or it will soon become the worst place
in our country".
Page 54, lines 11-14 should read: "Each of us can
do his part to help our country get the one million
places in which to live that we need each year".
LIVE
5C
ERRATA
WE NEED SAFE AND COMFORTABLE HOMES
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Everybody has tc have a place to
live. That place may be a rooming
house or a hotel. It may be a flat,
an apartment or a one family house.
It may be in the city or it may be in
the country. It may be near the city
or it may be cn a farm. TTc matter
where we live, that place needs to be
safe and comfortable.
Many of us cannot find safe and
comfortable places to live. We can-
WE NEED SAFE AND COMFORTArlE HOMES
not find them due to two general
causes. The first general cause is,
there are not enough safe and com¬
fortable houses for the people who
need them. When houses are few,
rents are high. When rents are high,
many people cannot pay for safe and
comfortable places to live. If we
had enough safe and comfortable hous¬
es, we would not have high rents.
Everybody would then have a safe and
comfortable place to live.
Poor care ana repair of houses
is the other general cause why every¬
body has not a safe and comfortable
place to live. Many people believe
that poor houses are old houses.
5
WE NEED SAFE AM) COHORT ABLE HOMES
This is not always so. Many old
houses are firm, safe and comfortable.
Some old houses are better than some
new houses. If we care for and re¬
pair these old houses, they can be
made safe and comfortable. People
who rent their houses should keep
them in repair. If people would care
for and repair their old houses, we
should have many more places to live.
Our government wants each of us
to have a safe and comfortable place
to live. Our government wants us to
have safe and comfortable houses at
rents that we can pay. Our govern¬
ment shows how this can be done. It
has helped in the building of a
6
wefneed safe and comfortable homes
number of low-rent houses in differ¬
ent parts Gf the country. Our govern
ment believes that good homes help
to make . good citizens. It also be¬
lieves that good houses help people
to make;- good homes. Our government
can help us get good houses. It is
up to us to make good homes. Our
government wants each of us to have a
good home because it helps each of us
to become a better citizen.
7
WE WANT SAFE AND COMFORTABLE HOMES
Everybody wants a safe and com¬
fortable place to live. We want
light, air and privacy, We want our
homes to be beautiful. We want our
houses to be strong and we must have
them sanitary. These things are
Q
o
WE WANT SAFE AND COMFORTABLE HOMES
necessary for safe and comfortable
homes.
Almost any house can be made
safe. In order t.o be safe, a house
must be firm and strong. There must
be no holes in the roof and the walls
must be strong and dry. All steps
must be firm and strong. Glass must
be in all of the windows to let in
the light and to keep out the cold
winds and rain. The doors and win¬
dows must be easy to open. The roof
must be good and must keep out the
rain.
Most houses that are safe can be
made comfortable. Every comfortable
house must have some means to keep
9
WE WANT SAFE AM) COMFORTABLE HOMES
it warm. It should have running water,
a place to take a bath in privacy and
a toilet with a window to the open
air. Not more than two persons should
sleep in a room. Each room should
have one or more windows to the open
air.
Any comfortable house must have
a sink with running water in the kit¬
chen. It must have a place where the
family can cook. There must also be
some place in the house where the
familjr's wash can be done. These
things help to make a house safe and
comfortable.
We can do many little things tc
make our homes beautiful. We can keep
WE jj&gT SAFE AND COMFORTABLE HOMES
them clean and sanitary. We can make
small repairs that will help us to be
comfortable. We can hang pictures on
the walls and we can keep our furni¬
ture in order. We can keep our yards
clean. We can plant grass or flowers
and we can work with our neighbors,
to have a street of clean and beau¬
tiful homes.
WE CHOOSE OUR HOME,
Most of us rent the houses we
live in. We try to get the best
house for the amount of rent we pay.
There is only one way to get the best
for what we pay. We must hnoT! how to
choose a place to live.
First, we oust choose a house
that is safe. It must be a house
that can be made comfortable. It must
be sanitary ^nd it must be in good
condition- We also want it to be on
a good street.
WE CHOOSE OUR HOME
We must try to find a house that
is nea.r our work. We can walk to
work if it is near. If we walk, to
work, we can save the cost of carfare.
If we cannot find a house near our
work, we should choose one near 'a car-
line. We should also try to find a
place near a school. Our children
can walk to school if the school is
not -too far away.
We should choose a place which is
near stores. It is good to have
a food store near us. We can tuy
from stores that ar.e near and save
the cost of carfare.
Most of us believe that a good
home helps our children. A good home
13
WE CHOOSE OUR HOMES
helps them to become better citizens.
We want them to become better citi¬
zens. We try to provide conditions
at home that will help them become
better citizens. We try to choose
property that the landlord keeps re¬
paired. We try to choose property
that we can help the landlord take
care of. We want to provide our
children with a good home in a good
block on a good street- We want to
have a good home for ourselves. No
matter where we live, we need to
choose a home with care. We need to
do so for our children and for our¬
selves .
14
WE NEED TO KNOW THE LAW
Our laws say that people who rent
a house must do certain things. Our
laws say that people who rent must
not damage the property rented. The
15
WE NEED TO KNOW THE LAW
laws say that people who rent must
keep the property clean. They must
keep the house and the yards clean.
Garbage must be put Into a metal can
with a cover to it. All trash must
be put into some kind of box or bag.
People who rent must keep their toi¬
lets clean and in a sanitary condi¬
tion at all times. They must not
stop up the sinks or the toilets.
They must do a number of other things
that our laws say must be done.
Our laws give the landlord cer¬
tain things to do also. He must keep
his property repaired and in good
condition. He must provide a fire
escape for every three story house
WE NEED TO KNOW THE LAW
where three or mere families live. In
most cities, our laws say that each
house, flat or apartment must have a
sink with running water. Each place
must also have a sanitary toilet that
works. It must be in good condition.
Each toilet must have a seat that is
safe to use. Each toilet must have a
window that opens to the outside air.
Our landlord must see that the floors
in his house have no big holes in them
He must see that the roof is good. He
must also see that no water stands In
the yard.
Each of us should study the rent
laws and the housing laws in our city.
We should know what we must do and
WE NEED TO KNOW THE LAW
what our landlords must do. All cf
us should work with our landlords tc
keep our places clean and sanitary.
Each of us should know just what the
laws say. We need tc know what our
housing laws say if we want safe and
comfortable places tc live.
"You Are a Good Tenant"
"You Are a Good Landlord"
18
WE MUST HELP OURSELVES
Every person in our country
should, have a safe and sanitary place
to live. Our government wants every¬
body to have a home that is clean,
sanitary and in good condition. It
wants each of us to be comfortable
19
WE MUST HELP OURSELVES
and to have privacy. Our government
knows that good houses help to make
good homes. It also knows that good
homes help to make good citizens.
Good citizens make a good country.
We have many laws in our country
to help us get good housing. Our
laws give our landlords certain things
to do. Our laws also tell us of
certain things that we must do. The
law says that our landlord must pro¬
vide a house with good floors, firm
steps and strong, dry walls'. Each
house must have a good roof. There
must be no holes in the roof that
will let water in. Each three story
must have a fire escape if more than
WE MUST HELP OUhbELVEE
three families live in it. The law
says that our landlord must provide
toilet, sink and running water in any
house that he rents to us. The law
tells us that we must not damage our
landlord's property. It says that we
must care for our trash and garbage.
We must put our garbage in a metal can
which has a cover. We must put our
trash in some kind of box or bag.
We must also keep our yards clean.
Our trash and garbage must be put in
a certain place at a certain time.
The law says all cf these things to
help us have safe and sanitary places
to live.
Our government cannot do every-
21
WE MUST HELP QT IKS ELVES
thing for us. We must do many things
for ourselves. We must do as the law
says. We should see that our land¬
lord does what the law says. If our
landlord will not do what the law says
we can report it to our city govern¬
ment. We can telephone or we can
send a post card with our name and
address on it. If we send a post
card, we must be sure that what we
write is easy to read.
We must always use care when we
choose a house to live in. We must
choose a safe house in a good block.
We must try to choose a house on a
good street, life must also try to
find a place where there will be no
22
WE MUST HELP QUFtSKLVES
carfare to pay.
No matter where we live, we
should know the law. If we live in an
apartment, a flat, a hotel or a room¬
ing house, we should keep the law.
If we keep the law, we can make our
landlord keep the law. Our govern¬
ment will help us make our landlord
keep the law. Our government can dc
much to help us but we must do many
things for ourselves.
23
THE FOUR D's OF HOUSING
Do you know what the four "d's"
of housing stand for? No? Well,
let's study them and see if we can-
find out. We will let the first "d"
stand for darkness. We will let the
next one stand for dampness. We will
THE FOUR D'g OF H0U5ING
let the next "d" stand for dirt, and
the last one stand for dilapidation.
Then darkness, dampness, dirt and di¬
lapidation are the four "d's" of hous¬
ing. Each is the enemy of good homes
and good health. Each is the enemy
of happy families and a safe place to
live. We must free ourselves of dark¬
ness, dampness, dirt and dilapidation
if we want safe and comfortable places
to live.
In order to free ourselves of
darkness we must use sunlight. Sun¬
light is necessary to good health. It
helps to make us strong and it helps
to kill disease germs. We need it
for ourselves and for our children.
25
THE. FOUR ,D' s OF HOUSING.
If we want to keep in good, health, we
must get sunlight into our homes. We
can bring sunlight '• into our home when
we have windows' that open to the sun
and to the outside'air. When we •
choose a house to' live- in, we must be
sure that there will be enough sun¬
light and fresh air.
Dampness and darkness go to¬
gether. Dampness may be caused by a
bad roof, or by water running down
the walls. It can also come from
water that stands under the house or
in the yard. Together, dampness and-
darkness- help disease germs to live
and grow. Germs grow very fast under
these conditions. If we want to keep
26
THE FOUR I's OF HOUSING
our families healthy and happy, we
must keep our homes light and dry. Do
you keep your home light, dry and
free from germs?
Dirt, along with darkness and
dampness provides the right conditions
for germs to grow very fast. It al¬
so provides a means by which germs
can spread, If we want to check the
spread of germs and of disease, we
must see that there is no dirt in our
homes.
Dilapidation is just another way
to say that property is old and "run¬
down". US/hen houses are old and run¬
down, there is always the danger of
accidents or fire. If floors are not
27
THE FOUR D's OF HOUSING
firm, they may cause people to fall
and he hurt. If walls are not firm
and strong, they may fall and hurt
people. Old houses in a state of
dilapidation cause much sickness and
many accidents in our country every
year. If we want safe homes and
healthy families, we must free our¬
selves of darkness, dampness, dirt,
and dilapidation.
WE MUST NOT HAVE BAD HOUSING
We 'Have Fun At Our House
Do you have a place Tor fun in
your home? Do you have space for
your children to play when they can¬
not go outside? Every home should
have a place for recreation. Every
home should have a place where the
family can play. Recreation is nec¬
essary In every home. Fun is good
for every person. When our recrea-
WE MUST NOT HAVE BAD HOUSING
tion space is not being, used for play,
it can be used for study.
People who live in hotels, in
flats or in apartment houses have
very little space that can be used
for recreation. They must look for
public recreation. They must go to
shows, or playgrounds or parks or
some other such place. No matter how
small our homes may be, we should
provide some space where we can spend
some of our time in play or study.
When we choose a place to live,
we must think about recreation and
study. Husbands will spend more time
at home if there is a place for re¬
creation or study. Children will
WE MUST NOT HAVE BAD HOUSING
■ ■ < ■ »■■ ■ ■■ i ■ i
spend more time at home it there is a
place where they can play or study.
We should try to help our children to
stay at home. We do not want them to
"hang out" on street corners. When
our children are at home, there is
less chance that they will get into
trouble. There is also less chance
that they will be called to court or
sent to prison. We should try very
hard to make our homes so comfortable
that every member of the family will
want to spend as much time at home
as possible.
Space for recreation or study
will help our children in their school
work. It will give them a place to
31
WE MUST NOT HAVE BAD HOUSING
study their lessons. When children
know their lessons, they will want to
go to school. They will not cut
classes or be ashamed to go. They
will not hang out on street corners
or go into places where they may get
into trouble. Do you feel that a
comfortable home with a place for fun
or study will help your children? Do
you provide a place where your child¬
ren's friends may come to visit? All
of these little things help your
children to grow into better citizens.
When people have to live in
houses in a state of dilapidation,
they lose interest in many things.
They lose interest in law and order.
WE MUST NOT HAVE BAD HOUSING
They lose interest in their homes.
They lose interest in their city.
They even lose interest in being good
citizens. Bad housing kills the in¬
terest of many people in the good
things our country has to offer them,
life must not take such a chance. We
must all work for better housing. We
must not lose our interest in our
country.
GOOD HOMES HELP OUR CHILDREN
Most people want to be good.
They want to do what is right. They
want to serve their families and
their cities well. All of us should
do everything we can to keep our¬
selves and cur neighbors interested
in things that are right and good.
GOOD HOMES HELD OUR CHILDREN
Housing has seme effect cn aimcst
everything that we He. It has a tig
effect cn the way we think and the
way cur children grew up. We need
space and privacy -for our growing
children. We need a place where they
can have company ana not feel ashamed
We must try to give them a room of
their own. Space, privacy and a
place of their own are little things
that will help cur children to be
content at heme.
We should try tc provide sepa¬
rate rooms for growing boys and girls
We should try and not let them sleep
in rooms together or in rooms with us
It is not always possible for us to
GOOD HOMES HELP OUR CHILDREN
do this, but we can always try.
It is always important that we
keep the respect of cur children.
It is also important that husbands
and wives keep the respect of each
other. Privacy will help people re¬
spect each other. It will help our
children to respect us. We should
try to have the privacy that we need
in our homes.
What we do in our homes has a
big effect upon what our children do
and think. If we keep our homes
clean and comfortable, it will have
a good effect upon our children. If
there is dirt, trash and bad sanitary
conditions in our homes, it will have
GOOD HOMES HELP QUTt CHILDREN
a bad effect upon our children. Bad
conditions in our homes will cause
our children to lose respect for us
and for their home. It will also
cause them to look for company and
recreation outside the home. Many
bad things can happen when people
must look for comfort and company
outside the home most of the time.
Each family needs enough space
in the home for comfort and privacy.
Each family should try to choose a
house where these two things can be
provided. Each of us want space,
comforts and privacy in our home. We
want to have these things at rents low
enough for us to pay. All of these
37
GOOD HOMES HELP OUR CHILDREN
are necessary for good homes and
good families. They are necessary
for good citizens and for a good
country. We are sure to have better
homes and better families when we get
better housing.
OUR CHILDREN ARE CONTENTED AT HOME
38
HOUSING FOR COUNTR'f PEOPLE
Have you ever stopped tc think
how people in the country live? People
who live in the country need good
housing. They need homes that are
safe and comfortable. They need
running water, and sanitary toilets.
39
HOUSING FOR COUNTRY PEOPLE
They need electric lights and many
other things just as city people do.
Most people in the country cannot get
these things. On the whole, housing
in the country is worse than housing
in the city.
Many people who live in the coun¬
try do net have running water or
water toilets. They must often get
water to drink from wells or from
springs. When wells are near the
house or barn, it is often very hard
to keep them clean. It is very hard
to keep the water in them safe. It is
also very hard to keep them sanitary
when horses or other animals are
around. We cannot have safe and com-
HOUSING FOR COUNTRY PEOPLE
fortable homes if conditions around
the houses are not sanitary.
Very often wells are at the foot
of a hill or in a low place. Water
with dirt, germs or waste can often
run into them. We cannot keep the
water in a well safe if we let waste
run into it.
A few years ago, one out of
every two farm houses in our country
was in a state of dilapidation. They
were not fit for people to live in.
We cannot have safe and comfortable
homes if houses are not fit to live
in. City people must be interested
in the housing condition of country
people. City people need the help of
HOUSING FOR COUNTRY PEOPLE
country people. If poor housing In
the country causes sickness and dis¬
ease there, it will have an effect
upon people in the city.
It is Important to every person
that we have as good housing in the
country as in the city. Housing on
the farm must he as free from dirt,
dampness and dilapidation as houses
in the city. Country people have very
little trouble with darkness. They
can have more outside space and can
get more sunlight than city people.
But they do not have as much electric
power. They do not have as much safe
water to drink. They cannot protect
the water they drink as well as city
42 ,
HOUSING FOR COWRY PEOPLE
pe6ple can.
The Farm Security Administration
helps farm families to have good homes,
It is a part of our government. It
helps farm families to get good hous¬
ing at a cost they can pay. The Farm
Security Administration has helped
many farm families.
Country children need just as
much care as city children. They need
a place to study and a place to have
their company. They need the comforts
of a good home and all the other
things that city children need. Our
government wants us to have good hous¬
es , good homes and good families in
the country as well as in the city.
43
WE MUST HELP EACH OTHER
Darkness, dampness, dirt and
dilapidation are often called the
four "d's" of housing. All over our
country these conditions,' in company
with others, help to spread sickness
and disease. No matter where we live,
each of us know the effects of these
conditions.
Many people must live on prop-
WE MUST tiELP EACH OTHER
erty in a state of dilapidation. They
must live there because they cannot
find better places to make a home.
We do not have enough safe and com¬
fortable houses in our country for all
the people who need them. There are
several other causes why people must
live in houses with little space, few
comforts, and no privacy.
In cities many people must live
in hotels, rooming houses, flats or
apartments where housing conditions
are very bad. Many people who live
in the country have housing conditions
that are even wcrse. They do not
have electric lights. Many of them
must often use water from wells near
45
WE MUST HELP EACH OTHER
barns. We know that water from wells
near barns is cften not safe. It of¬
ten has waste matter in it. Something
has to te done about such conditions.
We can help, our landlords can help,
and our government can help. The Farm
Security Administration has helped
many farm families. We must not let
people live in houses where they can
get no sunlight. We must see that
everybody has a sink with running
water, sanitary toilets and other
conditions necessary for safe housing.
We must check the amount of sickness
and the number of accidents in the
heme. To do this we must se° that
floors are firm and have no holes in
46
WE MUST HELP EACH OTHER
them. We must see that steps and
walls are strong. We must also see
that the roof is good.
We can help each other to know
what our laws say. We can help each
other to know what to do about damage
to property, about trash, about gar¬
bage and about other waste. We can
show each other how to get metal cans
for our garbage from stores at very
little cost. Together we can study
ways to choose a place to live. We
can plan ways to save ourselves car¬
fare. We can do many other things to
have clean homes in a clean block on
a good street.
Housing is growing more important
47
WE MUST HELP EACH OTHER
every day. Many people are ashamed
of housing conditions in our country.
They want to do something about it.
They want us to do something about it.
Eeing ashamed will not get better
housing for us. We must not be con¬
tent to let other people try to do the
things we should do for ourselves. We
must fit our plans for better housing
into their plans for better housing.
We must work together and study to¬
gether if we want to escape the four
"d's". We must work together and we
must work alone. Do you know the
housing laws in your city? Do you
know what the courts will do? We
should lose no chance to learn these
WE MUST HELP EACH UTHEK
things. All cf us must respect our
laws and our courts. We can use them
to help us get safe and comfortable
places to live.
Our courts are set up to serve
us. We must not look upon the courts
as our enemy. Courts and prisons
are needed to help us live safe and
comfortable lives. They are needed
to check people who try to get around
our laws. We kill the value of our
courts and our laws if we do not use
them to help ourselves. Each of us
should know our housing laws. We
should use them and our courts to
help us get better housing.
49
A MILLION NEW PLACES TO LIVE
This morning at breakfast, my
brother and I talked about housing.
My brother said to me, "Have you
noticed how many run-down houses
there are around town?" I said, "Ye
- and I have noticed something else"
"What is that?"
"I have noticed how hard it
is to find a good house to
rent".
"Are you looking for a place
to rent?"
"No, but our friend Jim is".
"What kind of place does
Jim want?"
"Just a small house for him-
A MILLION NEW PLACES TO LIVE
self, his wife and the two "
children. If he can't get a
house, he will take an apart¬
ment or a flat'.'
"What about that new apartment
on Orange Street? It is near
a school. It is also near the
park and there are stores
right around the corner".
"Jim looked there but the rent
is too high".
"How much is the rent there?"
"Forty dollars a month for two
rooms, kitchen and bath".
"Jim can't pay that - he only
makes twenty-five dollars a'
week. He should not pay any
more for one month's rent
than he makes in a week".
"Yes, that's what Jim says".
"What about those apartments
for rent that we saw listed
in the paper? The rent was
only twenty-five dollars a
month, too".
"Jim looked at those. No sun¬
light could get into the rooms.
A MILLION NEW PLACES TO LIVE
They were small and like a
prison. The toilets were in
the hall. The bath was used
by too many families. The
whole building was in a state
of dilapidation".
"What does Jim mean by a state
of dilapidation?"
"Jim said there were big holes
in the floors and in the walls.
Window glasses were out. Dirt
was all over the place and many
of the doors and windows could
not be closed. Jim has not-
been' able to find a good house
anywhere in town".
"Well what will Jim do? He
can't live in that rooming
house where he now lives. There
is dirt and dampness every place.
There is no place to cook. They
must all sleep in one room. The
place is not sanitary and it's
against Jim's health. If he
gets sick he will lose his job".
"I don't know what Jim will do,
but I do know one thing".
"What is that?"
52
A MILLION NEW PLACES TO LIVE
"We had better get together and
do something about hous-mg in
this town or it will soon-be¬
come the worse palace in our
country. Not one of us can es¬
cape the effects of bad housing.
It is a very bad condition when
workers have no place to live."
We can hear people talk like
this in many parts of the country.
All over our country people need bet¬
ter housing. One family out of every
three in the city or on the farm hasn't
a fit place in which to live. For the
next ten years we will need over one
million new places each year to meet
our national housing needs. Many of
these places may be needed right in
your own home town. Do you know how
many new houses are needed in your
city? Do you know how many old run-
53
A MILLION NEW PLACES TO LIVE
down houses need to be pulled down?
Everybody should know the housing
conditions in his own city.
We get better housing in only
two ways. We must build new houses
and we must repair old houses that
are fit to be repaired. Our workers
need good homes. We must provide
them with good places to live at rents
that they can pay. Each of us can do
our part to help our country get the
one million places in which to live
that we need each year.
54
WHAT OTHERS HAVE DONE
Most labor groups in our big
cities have a housing plan. Labor
groups want better houses for work¬
er's. They want workers to have safe
■and' comfortable places in which to live.
They want workers to have good houses at
rents that low-income workers can pay.
Some labor unions have provided
low rent houses for their members.
They have provided new houses that
meet good-housing standards. The
unions rent these to their members at
55
WHAT OTHERS HAVE DONE
prices that their members can pay.
Many other labor groups have plans
for low-rent houses for their workers.
Many old houses can be repaired and
put in good condition by labor unions.
Do you belong to a union? Has your
union a plan for low-rent housing for
its members?
Many cities have set up a public
housing authority by law. Some states,
too, have set up a public housing au¬
thority by law. A housing authority
is set up to help provide better plac¬
es for people to live. They work
with the local business people and
with the national government. They
study the housing needs of their city
WHAT OTHERS HAVE DONE
or state and then make plans to meet
these needs. Is there a public hous¬
ing authority in your city? Has
your state set up a public housing
authority by law? Do you know what
the public housing authority in your
city or state has done? Is your
housing authority building low-rent
houses in your city? Have you asked
if you may rent one of them?
Many local business groups are
now building low-rent houses. They
want to meet the needs of families
of low income If they^can. These
groups get help from the national
government. Our government is al¬
ways ready to help local business
57
WHAT OTHERS HAVE DONE
groups tc provide low-rent and low-
cost houses Tor the people .in their
city. Are local Dusiness groups build¬
ing lew-rent or low-cost houses in
your city?
In some cities the local housing
authority repairs old houses. These
houses are made over into safe and
comfortable places in which tc live.
Some local business groups are also
building ever old houses. We need to
build new -houses and build over old
houses in order to provide good hous¬
ing for workers.
Low-rent and low-cost housing
are not the only kinds of housing.
People with high incomes must also have
58
WHAT OTHERS HAVE DONE
good places to live. People who have
high incomes can pick the places they
want to live. They can pay for the
kind of houses they want. But people
of high incomes must respect the hous¬
ing laws. They cannot always build
any kind of house any place they choose.
They must build their houses where
the local laws provide. It is for this
reason that housing councils study the
housing needs of peoole with high
incomes also. The local housing au¬
thority does the same thing. One
million new places to live each year.'
We can get them only if labor unions,
housing councils, local business
people and the government work together.
59
OUR GOVERNMENT HELPS
VtlWJj.'M' ' ■'
A Planned City
Everybody will agree' that we
need a good house to make a good home.
Everybody will also agree that good
hojnes make good families. We cannot
doubt that good families make a good
Coventry. Our national government
OUR GOVERNMENT HELPS
believes just as we do. Because our
national government believes as we do,
it helps, to provide good housing for
e verybody
Our national government helps tc
provide good housing in two main ways.
It gives help to local business peo¬
ple in the building of low-cost hous¬
es for sale and for rent. It also
helps any public housing authority,
set up by law, in the building of
low rent houses. In these ways, our
national government helps to provide
safe and comfortable houses for the
people who need them most.
The Federal Housing Administra¬
tion is a part of our national govern-
61
OUR GOVERNMENT HELPS
merit. It gives help to local busi¬
ness in the building of low-cost
housing. It also gives help to people
who wart to build a new house or re¬
pair their old house. The Federal
Housing Administration does not build
or repair houses. It helps people
to get the money they need to build or
to repair their houses. It insures
loans so that the company or person
who makes the loans does not lose
money. Banks and other businesses
make the loans. In this way the
Federal Housing Administration helps
thousands of people each year to
build or repair their houses. Do you
know how the Federal Housing Adminis-
OUh GQVEhlME^ HELPS
tration works? Has the Federal Hous-
ihg Administration served many people
in your city?
The United States Housing Au¬
thority is also a part of our nation¬
al government. It helps to provide
public housing for families of low
income. It does not build the hous¬
es .
The United States Housing Au¬
thority provides the money that a
city or state housing authority uses.
The local public housing authority
plans and builds the houses. The
local housing authority then rents
the houses that it builds. The
United States Housing Authority helps
63
OUR GOVERNMENT HELPS
the local housing authority to set
standards, and rents for the houses.
It does this because it has to pro¬
tect the government's money that it
has loaned to the local housing au¬
thority. The local authority rents
the houses to families of low income.
It then uses a part of the rent to
pay back the money loaned by the
United States Housing Authority.
Thousands of good places in which
to live have been provided in this way
by the local housing authority. These
places are in many parts of our coun¬
try. North, east, south, west - in big
cities and in small towns, the United
States Housing Authority has helped
OUR GOVERNMENT HELFS
many people in low income groups to
have tetter places in which to live.
Do you have low rent housing in your
city? Do you know how the United
States Housing Authority works?
Our government cannot provide
all of the housing our country needs.
Our government knows it cannot pro¬
vide all of the houses we need. Pri¬
vate tusiness builds good houses for
people who can pay for them. But pri¬
vate business has not built good
houses for the millions of families
of l^w incomes. Private business must
make a profit on the houses it builds.
The local housing authority provides
work for many private companies,and
65
OUR GOVERNMENT HELPS
for many workers. But the local hous¬
ing authority does not make a profit
on public housing. It provides good
housing for people of low income who
cannot get good housing in any other
way.
Our government has done much to
help us. We must do the rest.
66
YlfHAT WE CAN DO
It is not the job of our govern¬
ment to go into the business of build¬
ing houses. Our government does not
want to go into the business of build¬
ing houses. Our government will help
to build houses only where private
business cannot provide them. As
soon as private business can provide
low-rent housing for families of low
67
WHAT IE CAM DO
income, government help will not be
necessary.
However, everybody must have a
safe and comfortable place to live.
Each of us can help everybody to have: a
safe and comfortable place in whi.cir to
live. We can help in many. .ways. We can
help to form housing councils. We
know what good work housing councils
have done. We can see that a housing,
authority is. set up by our state or
local government. We can see that
our local governments pass good hous¬
ing laws. We can help private busi¬
ness build the kind of houses we need.
When we-rent, we can help our
landlords keep the - law. We -can also
68
WHAT WE CAN DO
do our part to keep the law. We can
pay our rent on time so that our land¬
lords will not have to go to court to
get It. It costs money to go to court.
We con help to keep our block and our
city clean and beautiful. We can do
many other things to keep our houses
safe, sanitary and comfortable.
The law says our landlord must
provide sanitary toilets and certain
other things. If our landlord does
not provide these things, we should
try to set him to do so. If our land¬
lord will not provide theae things,
we can go to our health department
or to our city building department
and tell them about it. They can see
69
WHAT WE CM DO
that our landlord does what the law
says.
Our housing councfls can do much
to help us get safe and sanitary hous¬
es. Our housing councils can help tc
have houses in a state of dilapidation
torn down. It can see that our city
gives us the necessary help for good
sanitary standards. We can help our
councils do these things if we become
members of them.
We can also see that landlords
do not get around the housing and
health laws of our city. Wre can re¬
port bad housing conditions to our
housing councils or to our city de¬
partments. We can further work" to
WHAT WE CAN DO
elect people to our city government
who will help us get good laws and
good housing.
Many national groups are inter¬
ested in housing. They have housing
plans and are interested in good hous¬
ing laws. Each of us can join these
groups. We can join to help get good
housing for everybody. No matter
what our local or federal government
does - no matter what labor unions
and other groups do - each of us must
take an interest in housing if we
want to have safe houses., comfortable
homes and happy families.
71
WE MUST DO ALL WE CAN
Almost everybody in our country
has become interested in housing. It
.is. a most important question with many
groups. If you are a low income work¬
er, you understand why the housing
question is so important.
Many housing people agree that
"we need over one million new places in
which to live each year. Housing people
WE MUST DO ALL WE CM
further agree that most cf these pla¬
ces should be provided at low rent or
low cost. We need more and better
houses for people of low income. We
need good houses at rents that low
income workers can pay.
A house does not needtobenew to be
good. Many eld houses have been re¬
paired and made safe and sanitary.
The Federal Housing Administration
has helped many people to make o.ld
houses safe, sanitary and comfortable.
Space, privacy, air and sun¬
light are some of the things neces¬
sary for good housing. Other condi¬
tions of good housing are running
water and sanitary toilets. All toil-
73
WE MUST DO ALL IE CAN
ets should have windows that open to
the outside air. Firm steps, floors
with no holes in them, dry walls, and
a good roof are also necessary.
Most farm houses do not have sinks,
baths, electric lights and other things
necessary for good housing. Some farm
houses are no better than barns. Many
farm families have been helped by the
Farm Security Administration. Many
flats, apartments and rooming houses
in some of our cities do not have
baths, and other necessary things.
Darkness, dampness, dirt and dilapi¬
dation still spread sickness and dis¬
ease to many people who cannot escape
these four "d's."
WE MUST DO ALL WE CM
There is no doubt that bad hous¬
ing is the enemy of health and happi¬
ness. There is also little doubt that
bad housing has an ill effect upon
our growing boys and girls. It helps
to raise the cost of our courts and
our prisons. It helps to kill re¬
spect for law and'order. It is a
condition of which most of us are
ashamed. We must not let it make us
lose our respect for law and order.
Do yiu want to live in dirt, disease
and dilapidation? Do you want your
children to grow up under such con¬
ditions?
Jim works hard every day. He
works for a metal company. He does
WE MUST DO ALL WE CAN
not make much money. He knows the
cost of sickness and disease. He
does not want sickness and disease
in his home. He wants a safe and
sanitary place in which to live. He
wants a place that he can pay for. He
wants a good place near his work so
that he can save the cost of carfare.
How can we give Jim a chance to help
himself? What can we do for the thou¬
sands of other workers like Jim?
If Jim belongs to a labor union,
his union may be able to help him.
Some unions have built low-rent
houses. They want to provide houses
that a twenty-five dollar a week
worker can rent. They wanted to help
WE MUST DC ALL WE CM
their members have safe and comfort¬
able places tc live.
Local housing councils serve us
in many ways. They see that landlords
keep their property up to local stan¬
dards. They try to have old houses
torn down if they are not fit for use.
They see that the city provides means
to care for trash, garbage and other
waste. They help elect people to the
city councils who agree to pass good
housing laws. Local and national
housing, councils do many other things
to help us get the comforts of safe
and sanitary housing. Is there a lo¬
cal housing council in your city?
Are you a member of your local hous-
77
WE MUST DO ALL WE CAN
ing council?
Our national government has hous¬
ing groups also. The Federal Housing
Administration and the United States
Housing Authority are two federal
government groups ir, housing. Each
was formed to help us have better
homes. Each covers a different field.
The Federal Housing Administration
serves to insure loans for building
i
low cost housing. It also' insures
►
loans for the repair of houses. The
United States Housing Authority makes
loans to a local housing authority tc
build low-rent houses. The local
housing authority rents the houses tc
people of low income. It pays back
76
WE MUST DO ALL WE CM
the money it gets from the United
States Housing Authority. The Federal
Housing Administration and the United
States Housing Authority have helped
many workers and many people in pri¬
vate business.
No matter where we choose to
live, we cannot escape the ^damage and
ill effects of bad housing. There
are many blocks of bad housing all
around us in most of our cities. We
must take notice of these conditions.
We should join housing grouos that
are interested in these conditions.
We should do everything we can to
get better housing for the people in
our city and for ourselves.
79
READERS IN
PREPARATION
Home and Family Living
Individual Self-Development
Employment, Occupations,■Industry
Community Relationships
Consumer Problems
Citizenship
Health and Safety
Recreation