Housing in Our Time: 1935 Hope

This circa 1935 documentary, Housing in Our Time, confronts America’s slum crisis, exposing unsanitary, unsafe dwellings that harm families’ health and well-being. With striking black-and-white footage, it contrasts dilapidated slums—cramped tenements and shacks—with modern public housing, spotlighting early New Deal projects like Jacksonville’s Brentwood Homes. It details local housing authorities partnering with the federal government to build low-rent, decent homes, boosting economies and living standards. Framing public housing as a democratic right, it champions safe, healthy homes for all, blending grim realities with construction hope.