page_title: Queen Lane Apartments
section_title: Pre-War History of Public Housing in Philadelphia
hierarchical_section_title: Queen Lane Apartments / Pre-War History of Public Housing in Philadelphia
caption_attribution_description: English: Mayor Michael Nutter, City Council President Darrell L. Clarke, City Councilwoman Cindy Bass, PHA President/CEO Kelvin Jeremiah, residents of the nine (9) new units, and other dignitaries joined together to cut the ribbon on Tuesday December 15th, 2015.
context_page_description: Queen Lane Apartments opened in 1955 as one of several Post-War public housing hi-rise complexes in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania which were built and maintained by the Philadelphia Housing Authority. The PHA demolished the Queen Lane high-rise on September 13, 2014. The PHA replaced it with 55 new, affordable rental units] for individuals and families. The first of the new 55 units were opened on December 15, 2015. Mayor Michael Nutter, City Council President Darrell L. Clarke, City Councilwoman Cindy Bass, PHA President/CEO Kelvin Jeremiah, residents of the nine new units, and other dignitaries joined together to cut the ribbon.
context_section_description: Nationwide, the first public housing projects were made possible by the New Deal's Public Works Administration (PWA) program and later by the U.S. Housing Act of 1937.  The  Act of 1937 (also known as the Wagner‐Steagall Act), provided subsidies to construct, own and manage public housing to local public housing agencies for “families whose incomes are so low that they cannot afford adequate housing provided by private enterprise"." The United States Housing Authority (USHA) was created and empowered by Congress to “provide loans (up to 90% of development costs at 3% interest) to local government bodies or authorities to construct low‐rent housing projects. The Act included a ‘statutory cost limit per unit exclusive of land costs.’ Philadelphia was authorized to receive $20,000,000 in housing funds from the Act. Pennsylvania Legislature approved the Housing Authorities Law of Pennsylvania in an Act of Assembly on 28 May 1937. This law established public agencies known as local housing authorities, and “required a local legislative body to declare a need for a local housing authority in order for one to be created.”  The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA), a municipal authority providing public housing services in Philadelphia was established under the provisions on August 26, 1937.  As a housing authority they were 'authorized to exercise the power of eminent domain to clear slum areas and to provide safe and sanitary dwellings through new construction or rehabilitation of existing structures.'" "Prewar PHA housing projects built between 1938 and 1941 included James Weldon Johnson Homes at 25th and Ridge Avenue, Tasker Homes at 30th and Tasker Streets, and the Richard Allen Homes at Ninth and Poplar. Philadelphia’s public housing program was halted in 1940 when the newly elected mayor Robert Lamberton rejected proposed projects and federal aid. From the onset of World War II to its end, defense housing and war housing needs for whites took precedent  [sic]."
caption: Queen Lane Ribbon Cutting - December 15th, 2015.
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