Migration, Housing and Relocation - Audio Program

Marvin Foster, a crane operator at the Kaiser shipyards, in front of his trailer home inn 1944.

RORI 1855

Quick Facts

Location:

Richmond, California

Significance:

National Historical Park

Migration, Housing and Relocation - Learn at Home

This audio program is part of the "Learn at Home" series and offers an introduction to the history of WWII and the Richmond, California Home Front. You may access the series on the official NPS App and search for Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park or on our park website.

Park Website Audio Programs: Stream or download directly.

• Migration, Housing and Relocation

  
  

  This program is part of an introduction to the history of the park and the WWII Home Front. You can listen to it at home, while driving, before your visit to the park visitor center or as part of the official NPS App driving tour. These files are also available as a free download on our website and can be a great educational tool for your classroom.

  Credit / Author:

  NPS/Luther Bailey/Rob Milton/Lauren Goode

  Date created:

  07/20/2023

  Audio Transcript

  As thousands of workers streamed into Richmond, both public and private entities struggled to keep the city’s burgeoning population housed, healthy, and highly productive. The huge explosion of workers coming to live in Richmond caused intense strain on city infrastructure.

  One of these strains was a severe lack of housing. Workers arriving in these rapidly expanding urban centers were forced to live where they could. Most defense housing was in large anonymous barrack-type apartment buildings, or single-sex dormitories. Even these modest quarters were treasured since the housing shortage led many workers to live in tents, boats, and cars, and share “hot beds” on a rotating 8-hour schedule.

  By the end of World War II, Richmond would maintain the largest federal housing program in the nation. More than 21,000 public housing units were constructed in the city by 1943, providing housing for more than 60% of Richmond’s total population.

  During these years, 20 federal-funded housing developments were built in Richmond to house the rapidly growing population. Among the first were the well-designed complexes like Atchison and Nystrom Villages which were close to the shipyards.

  However, the Richmond Housing Authority instated segregated housing policies which meant that these housing complexes were only available to white upper-level workers and management. Many Black migrants settled in North Richmond, which was an unincorporated area. To combat the discrimination they faced, African Americans established a local chapter of the NAACP in Richmond in 1944.