USA House
USA House
History
Background
USA House was undertaken by the U.S. government at the behest of the British government under the terms of the
According to a period news report, the program was designed to "help shelter England's bombed-out population".[4] Initial plans called for the construction of 30,000 homes in the United States which would be shipped to, and assembled in, Great Britain. The first of the bungalow-style homes constructed for the program were erected in the UK during the summer of 1945.[5]
Criticism and cancellation
The program suffered, early on, from domestic United States criticism. Americans voiced opposition to the amount of lumber resources being devoted to
Despite the original program goal of 30,000 homes, only 8,462 were ultimately supplied.[5] According to a period report to the Cabinet of the United Kingdom, the British government cancelled the remaining order of 22,000 units following the termination of Lend Lease by the United States and due to Britain's inability to pay the full price of each house.[6] Contemporary accounts attribute a variety of structural deficiencies in the buildings, such as differences in the foundation slab between the USA House and that of locally-built British temporary shelters, as contributing to the British government decision not to see the program through to completion.[3]
Design
The USA House bungalows were timber-framed structures with a floor space of 600 square feet (56 m2). Each building consisted of two bedrooms, a living room, a bathroom, and a kitchen, and was designed with a life expectancy of 10 years.[5]
See also
References
Bibliography
- Kwak, Nancy (2015). A World of Homeowners: American Power and the Politics of Housing Aid. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226282497.