World War II Era Residential Housing in Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada (1940–1945)

Rayle, Greta; Ruter, Helana; Logan Simpson

From summary: "At the request of the city of Las Vegas Development Services Center, Logan Simpson prepared a comprehensive historic context for neighborhoods and subdivisions constructed in suburban Las Vegas during the WWII era (1940–1945). Residential subdivision development in the United States (U.S.) was generally limited during the period between 1940 and 1945 due to a lack of available funding as well as construction materials reserved for military use, as the Federal government devoted resources to the war effort. Prior to the U.S. housing crisis during WWII, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) under the legislative umbrella of the 1934 National Housing Act (NHA). The agency’s role was to provide an incentive for private developers to construct new subdivisions. Rather than provide loans or subsidies for housing, the FHA provided insurance on two types of mortgage loans—those for the repair, remodeling, and redecorating of existing structures (as identified in Title I of the NHA) and those for the construction of new buildings (as identified in Title II). In 1938, an amendment to Title II of the act was passed in order to encourage the development of “small homes.” The FHA allowed for insurance on mortgages up to 90 percent of the property value for owner-occupied homes, whereas the former Title II guidelines limited insurance to 80 percent. This new Title II program was limited to maximum loan amounts of $5,400 but it served as a great stimulus to the housing construction sector... Three Title VI neighborhoods have been previously identified through survey in the city and include the Huntridge, Biltmore, and Mayfair Neighborhoods. The Vega Verde subdivision was also previously identified as a FHA Title II development by the city during preparation of a NRHP nomination for the John S. Park Neighborhood. Logan Simpson identified four additional neighborhoods through archival research, all of which are examples of “built-on-demand” or custom subdivisions developed by private investors during the WWII era. These neighborhoods include the Beckley Subdivision (1941), Sebec Acres (1941), Eastland Heights (1942), and Charleston Square (1945). This historical overview places custom neighborhoods and Title II and Title VI developments within Las Vegas into a broader local, state, and national context of war-time housing development; examines how race-based housing restrictions impacted African Americans in Las Vegas; and defines the architectural styles and physical infrastructure associated with residential WWII era developments. Property registration requirements for individual properties including single-family and multi-family dwellings and the subdivisions as a whole follow the historic contexts in this document. The overview also identifies geographical boundaries and provides a summary of identification and evaluation methods and references consulted." Project funding was provided in part by a 2014 Historic Preservation Fund grant to City of Las Vegas (project number NV-14-012) administered by the Nevada State Historic Preservation Office (grant number P14AF00036) and the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Las Vegas, Nevada is a Certified Local Government.

World War II Era Residential Housing in Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada (1940–1945)

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