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A3SC9
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Summary Statement for 1941 Vacancy Reports
Presidential vacancies were "below the five percent normal level in more
than nine-tenths of the nation's key defense areas during 1941, according to the
attached summary of reports made from WPA vacancy studies. Critical housing
shortages were found in nearly two-fifths of the areas, where vacant units made
up less than two percent of the total dwellings.
These reports, made "by the WPA Division of Research at the request of
the Division of Defense Rousing Coordination, included 287 areas varying in size
from metropolitan centers, such as Chicago, San Prancisco, Los Angeles, and parts
of New York City, to small to-ms adjacent to Army camps. Information derived
from .these surveys is "being used in planning programs of defense housing construc¬
tion.
In most of the areas units in good condition and for rent comprised
less than half of the vacancies; moreover, largo proportions of these habitable
rental vacancies in some cities were under construction and not available for
immediate occupancy. The non-rental vacancies usually were for sale only, being
built for owner occupancy, or unfit for use,
Resurveys were made in 71 of the areas at varying intervals during the
year in order to keep abreast of rapidly changing housing situations. Although
increased gross and habitable vacancy rates were shown for some of the resurvey
areas, large proportions of these changes were due to new units not yet completed,
which were included in the vacancy count, Por example, in tho Maryland .areas
adjacent to the District of Columbia, unfinished new construction more than ac¬
counted for the increase in vacancy rates.
Habitable rental vacancy rates decreased in 53 of tho resurvey areas,
including seven areas where the gross vacancy rates increased. In nearly one-
third of these 53 areas the reports revealed that the housing situation had be¬
come critical during the period between surveys. Some of the decreases, for
example those in Biloxi, Mississippi, and Phoenix, Arizona, may have been due
l;irgely to seasonal influences.
Separate reports for most of the survey areas arc available upon
written request to the wTA Division of Reso ouch.
F3DLRAL WORMS AGJlJCY
Work Projects Administration
Division cf Research
i'mAY 1C
F3DDRAL WORKS AGDITCY
Work Projects Administration
'") /-
January 26, 1942
A3909
Summary of Vacancy Reports Made During 1941 by the
WPA Division of Research at the Request of the
Division of Defense Housing Coordination
Month of survey C-ross vacancy Habitable rental
Alabama
Anniston June 0.8$ 0.6$
Birmingham area July 1.8 0.7
Florence ) June 2.0 0.6
Sheffield ) June 2.6 0.9
Tuscumbia ) June 1.9 0.5
Huntsville September 2.7 1.2
Mobile January 1.7 0.8
Solraa September 1.8 0,9
Sylacauga ) August 3.1 1.0
Talladega ) August 1.9 1.0
Arizona
Phoenix April 9.0 7.4
" December 2.8 1.5
Arkansas
Little Rock area May 2.4 1,1
Texarkana September 3.3 1.0
California
Bakersfield April 5.6 4.2
Los Angeles areas:
Burbank-Glendale area September ' 4.6 3.1
Santa Monica-Hawthorne area September 4.4 3.3
Vultce plant area September 3.2 1.4
Downtown Los Angeles September 5.3 4.9
South Central Los Angeles September 2.6 2.2
Long Beach-San Pedro area September 3.2 2.0
Monterey' ) May 4,0 1.8
Salinas ) May 2.3 1.3
Oakland-Richmond area January 2.8 1.4
Oakland area ) November 2.3 1*0
Richmond area ) November 7.0 0.6
Paso Robles August 6.2 2,7
Sacramento April 5.3 3^6
San Bernardino December 4.2 2^7
San Diego area December 3.2 1^4
San Francisco January 5.1 3^8
" " October 5.7 4.4
A3909
- 2 -
Ar on. surveyed
Month of survey
(1941)
Gross vacancy
rate
Habitable renta!
vacancy rate
California (continued)
San Jose
September
3.9$
2.2$
San Luis Obispo
June
3.0
1» 2
San Mateo area
November
5.0
1.4
San Rafael area
February
8.3
2.0
Vallejo area
February
1.0
0.1
Colorado.
Denver
April
2.5
1.9
Connecticut
Bridgeport area
October
1.4
0.4
Bristol
May
1.0
0.2
Hartford area
September
1.1
0.2
Meriden
May
1*. 1
*
Middletown
September
1.2
0.4
New Haven area
September
1.6
0.6
New London area
May
3.9
0.9
Stanford
February
1.4
1.0
Water "bury area
February
1.0
0.3
ii it
September
1.1
0.2
Delaware
Wilmington
February
1.9
1.1
ii
September
1.5
0.8
District of Columbia and nearby areas
All areas combined
January
3.0
1.8
ti n u
October
2.9
1.7
Washington
January
2.5
1.9
ii
October
1.9
1.2
Montgomery County, Maryland
January
4.5
0.8
it n ii
October
7.2
1.2
Princo Georges County, Md.
January
3.7
1.3
ii it it ii
October
7.3
4.6
Alexandria, Virginia
January
5.5
2.8
ii ii
October
3.4
2.2
Arlington County, Virginia
January
4.7
1.6
it ' ii ii
October
5.3
3.6
Palls Church, Virginia
January
7.5
1.2
**
Less than 0.0a percent.
Hot resurvoyed in October.
A3909
- 3 -
Area surveyed
Florida
Gainesville )
Starke )
Jacksonville
Panama City
Pensacola
Tampa
Georgia
Albany
Atlanta
11
Augusta
Macon area
Savannah
Toccoa
Idaho,
Boise
Illinois
Chicago
it
East Alton area
ii ii it
East St. Louis area
it ii ii n
Joliet
Peoria
Rantoul
Rock Island area
Savanna
Anderson
Connersyilie
Elkhart
Evansville
Port Wayne
ii it
Month of survey Gross vacancy Habitable rental
/in/n\
May
4.3#
2.5 $
May
3.0
2.1
September
4.1
2.4
April
8.7
4.1
June
2.3
1.2
August
4.8
3.8
August
0.6
0.4
April
2.7
1.9
November
2.4
1.3
August
2.5
1.6
February
1.2
0.5
September
2.6
1# 2
September
2.0
0.2
November
3.0
1.4
April
2.4
1.7
November
1.3
0.7
J anuary
1.3
0.6
May
1.0
0.2
January
1.3
0.8
September
1.2
0.4
June
1.4
0.3
November
3.5
2.4
August
3.0
1.9
October
1.9
0.6
October
0.9
0.3
September
2.7
1.2
September
3.1
1.9
November
1.9
0.5
December
3.3
1.9
April
2.7
1.5
December
2.4
0.8
-3509
Area surveyed
Indiana (continued)
Gary )
Hammond area )
Indianapolis
it
Mew ulbany area
Lafayette
La Porte
Madison
Sou th Bend )
Mishawaka )
Terre Haute
I owa
Burlington
Davenport
Des koines
Kansas
Junction City
Kansas City area
it ii ii
Parsons
Wichita
Kentucky
Louisville
Louisiana
Alexandria
Baton Rouge
it ii
Leesville
Linden
Hew Orleans'
ii ii
Shreveport
Lalne
Portland area
II it
- h -
Month of survey Gross vacancy Habitable rental
(19hl) rate vacancy rate
1
October
1.92
0.6:
October
2.2
0.8
January
2.3
1 ih
September
1.7
0.8
November
1.6
0.9
October
2.2
1.1
June
1.3
0.6
July
1.3
0.7
November
1.8
0.7
November
2.3
0.7
Eecember
h.l
2.7
May
1.7
0.7
October
2.h
1.2
November
3.9
1.9
June
3.0
1.6
January
3.1
1.6
September
3.0
1.3
August
U.7
2.3
November
3.3
1.8
November
1.2
0.6
March
1.3
0.7
April
3.3
2.9
October
2.3
1.3
June
2.6
1.8
August
3.3
1.9
June
1.3
1.0
December
1.3
1.0
August
3.8
3.0
January
3.1
3.0
October
3.7
2.1
A3909
Area surveyed
Maryland
Baltimore
ii
Elkton
Hagerstown
11
Massachusetts
Ayer
Boston area
II I!
Charlestavm area
11 11
Quincy area
11 11
Fall kiver )
New Bedford )
Lawrence )
Lowell )
L^mn area
Pittsfield
Springfield )
Chicopee )
Holyoke )
V/orcester
Michigan
Battle Creek
Bay City
11 11
Detroit area
11 11
11 11
Flint
11
Grand Rapids
Jackson
Kalamazoo
Month of survey Gross vacancy Habitable rental
(I9I4I) rate vacancy rate
January
2.7;
1.3:
November
1.7
0.6
June
2.0
0.3
January
l.it
0.6
June
1.6
0.9
June
2.3
0.9
January
h.3
2.5
September
- 3.1
1.9
January
2.6
1.5
September
2.2
l.h
February
3.3
2.0
September
3.1
1.5
November
1.0
0.3
November
1.7
0.9
November
1.3
0.6
November
3.3
2.1
September
1.2
0.6
July
1.6
o.U
August
1.0
0.6
August
1.3
0.2
August
1.7
0.9
August
1.7
1.0
November
2.3
1.2
February
1.5
0.7
June
2.h
1.0
January
2.2
0.8
August
2.6
0.8
December
2.0
0.7
February
1.2
o.a
September
3.6
1.5
August
3.a
1.8
October
2.2
0.9
October
3.a
2.1
A3 509
- 6 -
Area surveyed
Month of survey
(19u1)
Gross vacancy
rate
Habitable
vacancy r
Michigan (continued)
Lansing area
July
3.2>
2.1:
1! 11
December
2.2
1.3
Midland
February
1.1a
0.3
1!
June
3.2
0.7
Muskegon
January
1.6
1.1
ii
May
1.7
0.1a
Wiles )
September
2.6
o.h
Buchanan)
September
2.1a
0.1a
Pontiac
February
1.6
o.5
n
September
3.5
1.8
Saginaw
February
2.1
0.9
it
October
2.9
1.2
Ypsilanti
September
3.9
2.1
Minnesota
Duluth area
December
Jul
1.6
Minneapolis )
September
3.6
2.9
St. Paul )
September
1a.2
3.5
Mississippi
Biloxi
April
8.9
It.7
ii
September
1.6
0.7
Meridian
April
2.3
2.0
ii
September
1.2
0.1a
Missouri
Independence area )
February
1.9
1.2
ii it )
September
3.3
2.0
Kansas City )
February
1a.1
2.5
it it )
September
5.0
3.1
Neosho
December
1.7
1.2
Roll a
June
1a.7
2.0
St. Charles area )
January
3.8
2.1
ii it it )
October
2.6
1.3
St. Louis )
January
5.3
It. 2
ti ii
October
2.0
1.5
Nebraska
Omaha
August
1a.0
2.0
ate
A3 909
- 7 -
Month of survey Gross vacancy
Area surveyed (1991) rate
i lev; Har.pshire
Manchester April 9.2>
" November 3.9
New Jersey
Camden area November 2.1
Dover September 1.9
Northern New Jersey
Newark January 2.6
" Anrust 2.0
Kearny-Harrison September 0.9
Northern Hudson County Cities October 3.2
Northwest suburbs of Newark September 1.9
Southwest suburbs of Newark September 0.3
Eastern Bergen County cities October 2.9
Jersey City - Bayonne January 9.1
" " " October 2.9
^Middlesex County cities November 1.7
Paterson-Passaic area January 1.9
" " " October 1.2
Phillipsburg September 1.7
Trenton September 1.2
New York
Albany
February
9.9
11
December
3.8
Bethpage )
Day
8.6
Farmingdale )
i -ay
11.0
Brooklyn )
December
5.9
Queens )
December
9.3
Richmond )
December
9.9
Dunkirk
October
1.7
Elmira
Parch
3.1
11
I ay
2.0
11 ion
September
1.3
Jamestown
October
1.6
'■'assena
I "ay
1.9
Schenectady area
January
2.1
Schenectady
December
1.3
Sidney
May-
2.2
Syracuse
February
2.9
Troy
February
9.7
Troy area
December
3.3
Utica
January-
2.3
Watertown )
August
1.5
Carthage )
August
1.9
Habitable rental
vacancy rate
2.3/i
1.9
0.9
0.6
1.9
1.9
0.9
1.7
0.8
0.9
0.9
2.3
0.8
0.9
0.6
0.9
1.0
0.6
3.9
2.2
1.7
6.9
3.6
2.1
1.2
0.6
1.9
0.6
0.9
0.9
0.3
1.0
0.3
0.6
1.9
2.2
2.0
2.0
0.9
0.7
A3909
~8-
Area surveyed Month of survey Gross vacancy Hahitahle rental
(1941) rate vacancy rate
North Carolina
Charlotte
April
5.4jo
1.8!
n
November
2.2
1.2
Durham
December
5.1
3.1
Fayetteville
June
4.0
1.3
Henderson,
September
2.6
1.2
Morehead City
September
9.8
3.7
New 3ern
August
3.3
1.6
Wilmington
February
3.9
0.7
H
May
3.6
0.1
Ohio
Akron area
March
1.8
0.9
ti it
October
1.2
0.5
Cincinnati area
J anuary
3.4
2.2
tr it
August
3.0
2.0
Cleveland area
April
1.9
1.1
Columbus
October
2.6
1.2
Dayton
December
1.2
0.5
Slyria
October
1.5
0.4
Fostoria
November
3.1
1.1
Gallipolis
November
4.9
2.5
Hamilton
August
1.6
0.4
Lorain
November
0.7
0.2
Middletown
September
1.0
0.5
Port Clinton
November
0.9
0.5
Sandusky
September
2.3
0.9
Sidney
November
2.5
0.8
Springfield
September
1.8
0.7
Toledo
April
3.4
2.2
it
October
2.6
1.3
Warren )
May
0.9
0.2
Ravenna)
May
1.5
0.3
Wellington
November
2.6
1.0
Youngstown
September
1.4
0.7
Oklahoma
Lawton
Oklahoma City
Tulsa
June
December
November
4.0
5.9
5.4
1.2
4.4
1.5
Area surveyed.
Month of survey Gross vacancy Habitable rental
(l94l) rate vacancy rate
Oregon
Astoria
October
2. &l
1 . 6/3
Pendleton
November
2*1
0.6
Portland
December
2.4
1.0
Penns ylv.v.ni a
Allentovm
J enuary
1.3
0.6
ii
September
1.3
0.3
Beaver County
J anuary
1.6
1.0
11 1!
June
1.2
0.4
Bethlehem
J anuary
O.S
0.3
ii
September
2.0
0.3
Berwick
July
2.2
1.0
Bristol
September
1.9
0.5
Corry
September
2.5
1.2
Ellwood City
J anuary
1.5
0.7
ti it
July
1.4
0.2
Erie
September
1.1
0.5
Earrisburg area
February
2.0
1.2
ii ii
August
1.4
0.8
New Castle
January
3.7
2.3
it ii
September
1.4
0.6
Philadelphia
March
2.9
1.8
it
November
2.6
1.2
Pittsburgh )
February
2.2
1.3
n )
August
1.5
1.0
Allegheny Paver cities )
Februa.ry
1.2
0.6
ii n it )
August
1.5
0.7
Monogahela River cities )
February
1.0
0.4
ii it ii )
August
1.1
0.4
Ohio Paver cities )
February
1.9
1.0
ii ii ii )
August
1.3
0.6
Reading
January
2.2
1.5
ii
October
2.0
0.8
Sharon )
September
0.8
0.1
Earrell )
September
1.7
0.5
Titusville
January
1.8
0.7
ii
July
0.8
0.2
Williamsport
February
1.1
0.5
ii
June
1.5
0.6
York
July
2.0
0.4
Rhode Island
Newport
Providence area
June
November
3.0
1.2
1.0
0.6
A3909
-10-
Area surveyed
Month of survey
(1941)
Gross Vacancy
rate
Habitable
vacancy
South Carolina
Charleston area
Sept ember
0.7 io
0.1 f=
Columbia
February
1.9
0.6
Tennessee
Memphis
September
2.6
1.8
Milaii-Hrjaooldt area
June
1.0
0.6
Knoxville
September
1.6
0.7
Nashville
September
3.2
2.4
Paris
October
2.1
0.7
Tullahoma
July
2.1
0.9
Texas
Abilene
June
1.2
0.8
Beaumont
June
3.6
2.4
Brounwood
June
2.3
0.4
Corpus Christi
October
2.8
1.3
Dallas
P ebruary
4.9
3.5
1!
September
3.1
2.2
El Paso
September
2.6
1.2
Pt. Worth
September
2.5
1.4
Galveston
September
2.8
2.0
Houston
April
4.8
3.8
ii
September
4.0
3.0
Mineral Wells
June
4.6
2.8
Orange
June
3.2
1.5
Palacios
October
2.5
1.7
Port Arthur
June
2.9
2.2
San Antonio
October
1.3
0.6
Texarkana
September
2.8
1*2
Victoria
April
3.6
2.4
Waco
November
2.9
1.6
Wichita Palls
April
5.1
3.0
Utah
Ogden
May
1.4
0.5
Salt Lake City
September
3.2
1.6
Vermont
Springfield )
June
2.4
0.8
Windsor )
June
3.2
2.6
A3909
-11-
Area surveyed
Month of survey
Gross vacancy
Habitable
(1941)
rate
vacancy :
Virginia
Newport ile'.-s area
November
1 ~c1
0.7#
Norfolk )
October
3.0
0.5
Portsmouth '
September
1.3
0.3
Petersburg
May
3.2
0.5
Radford )
May
0.5
0.2
Pu}. a ski )
May
1.5
0.7
Wesnin-rtcn
April
4.4
2.1
Everett
Sept..-moor
4.5
2.1
ii
August
5.p
1.3
Seattle
December
5.1
3.*
Spokane
Augus t
4.0
1.8
Tac oma
West Virginia
Charlestown area
January
2.4
1.2
ii it
September
2.2
1.0
Huntington
November
3.5
2.2
Morgantown
January
1.7
0.8
ii
May
1.2
0.5
Point Pleasant
November
4.9
2.4
"Wisconsin
Boloit
J anus ry
1.3
0.7
Madison
July
5.4
4.5
Manitowoc
J anuary
2.2
1.1
Manitowoc
May
1.9
1.0
Two Rivers
May-
2.0
0.9
Milwaukee area
September
1.5
0.8
Oshkosh
Febuery
1.9
1.1
Racino
December
1.5
0.8
Spa.r tr
October
4.1
2.2
Federal Works Agency-
Work Projects Administration
Division of Research
Jc-nurry - 194-2