Parker Homes Temporary Housing (Sacramento, California)

 house, Second World War 1939-1945

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Many of the WWII-era buildings--complete with asbestos and lead paint--still exist today, despite I-80 construction and other sorts of destruction taking their toll.

"According to an article published in the Sacramento Air Depot News (S.A.D. News) dated October 23, 1942, the housing development known as Parker Homes was close to being completed and ready for occupancy. The Parker Homes consisted of family units segregated into 32 one-bedroom units, 200 two-bedroom units and 100 three-bedroom units. The 332 units were constructed only for Depot War workers (civilian employees) and their families. Funds for the construction of these units were made available through the Lanham Act, which is a program that provided federal monies for defense housing projects.

"According to an undated memorandum, the smallest family unit could accommodate a mother and a child or a mother and a grown son working on McClellan Field. No single person was allowed to rent a residence in Parker Homes. A one bedroom unit was of apartment type accommodations, and two and three bedroom units were single family dwellings. Each unit was furnished with a gas range, a gas automatic hot water heater, a refridgerator and an oil circulating room heater. Rentals on the units were paid directly to the Parker Homes Administration Office located in the Parker Homes area. In a letter dated July 3 1, 1948, the Executive Committee of the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce states its concern over the Federal Public Housing Authority's proposal to sell the homes in the Parker Homes tract adjacent to McClellan Field. The letter states that the housing project was established as an emergency measure during the war for families in the low income brackets and employees at McClellan.

"The homes were not intended as permanent structures and that it was planned to tear them down when the housing emergency expired. Documentation regarding the date when the housing emergency expired was unavailable. The letter also states that the homes had deteriorated over the last five years. The committee feared the sale of these unstable homes would create a slum area and recommended that the homes be leased and not sold. According to records located at the Sacramento County Assessor's Office, the majority of the properties have been sold to private parties; however, there are parcels that belong to Caltrans, City of Sacramento, Habitat for Humanity, and two of the parcels belong to the U.S. Government. Although records at the Assessor's office indicate that the United States owns parcels 238-01 02-007-000 and 238-01 02-009-0000, it is unclear which agency has custody of the properties.

"According to the McClellan Air Force Base Historian, these homes were built on stilts during WWII because the properties are located within the floodplanes. Since WWII, the homes have been altered by adding skirting around the bottom where the stilts were and have been altered without permits."

Read more here: www.corpsfuds.com/reports/INPR/J09CA7468inpr.pdf