Guide to Federal Records

Records of the Federal Housing Administration [FHA]


(RECORD GROUP 31)
1930-70

Overview of Records Locations

Table of Contents
  • 31.1 ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY
  • 31.2 RECORDS OF THE FEDERAL HOUSING ADMINISTRATION 1930-70
  • 31.2.1 General records
  • 31.2.2 Records of the Research and Statistics Division
  • 31.2.3 Records of the Atlanta, GA, Field Office
  • 31.3 TEXTUAL RECORDS (GENERAL)
  • 31.4 CARTOGRAPHIC RECORDS (GENERAL) 1934-43
  • 31.5 MOTION PICTURES (GENERAL) 1935-36
  • 31.6 SOUND RECORDINGS (GENERAL) 1934
    18 items

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 31.1 ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY

Established: As an independent agency by the National Housing Act (48 Stat. 1246), June 27, 1934.

Transfers: To Federal Loan Agency, by Reorganization Plan No. I of 1939, effective July 1, 1939; to National Housing Agency, by EO 9070, February 24, 1942; to Housing and Home Finance Agency by Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1947, effective July 27, 1947.

Functions: Insured private lending institutions against loss on home mortgage loans. Insured advances for housing in nonurban and disaster areas; housing for the elderly, military personnel, and nursing homes; and for improvement of housing standards, particularly in slums and blighted areas.

Abolished: Effective November 9, 1965, by Department of Housing and Urban Development Act (79 Stat. 667), September 9, 1965.

Successor Agencies: Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Finding Aids: Kathleen E. Riley and Charlotte M. Ashby, comps., "Preliminary Inventory of the Records of the Federal Housing Administration," NC 111 (1965).

Related Records: Record copies of publications of the Federal Housing Administration in RG 287,
Publications of the U.S. Government.
Records of the Public Housing Administration, RG 196.
General Records of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, RG 207.

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 31.2 RECORDS OF THE FEDERAL HOUSING ADMINISTRATION
1930-70

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 31.2.1 General records

Textual Records: Correspondence between President Franklin Roosevelt, FHA administrators, and state governors, relating to FHA legislation, 1934-35. Project files for multi-unit housing developments, consisting of sample dossiers for twelve representative projects, 1936-46. Sample case files of plans and specifications for typical homes insured by FHA regional offices, 1934-38. Sample master files of defaulted multi-family housing projects in Fairbanks, AK, Cincinnati, OH, and Dallas, TX, documenting FHA acquisition and resale procedures, 1958-65. Audit and financial reports, 1935-54. Organizational charts and a procedural manual, 1958.

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 31.2.2 Records of the Research and Statistics Division

Textual Records: City data file of reports, tabulations, and charts used to forecast housing demands and mortgage values, 1930-45. Housing market reports, 1937-63. Data (1920-40) on urban housing markets, compiled 1934-41. Miscellaneous administrative and program records containing urban housing data, 1934-65 .

Maps (3,857 items): Manuscript, printed, and annotated maps of real property surveys in cities in AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, and WY, 1934-40 (3,657 items). Housing market analyses of selected cities, 1935-42 (200 items). SEE ALSO 31.3.

Related Records: For additional records of the Research and Statistics Division, SEE 207.2.

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 31.2.3 Records of the Atlanta, GA, Field Office

Textual Records (in Atlanta): Building specifications for construction of 42 multifamily projects insured by the Atlanta field office, 1950; 1960-70.

Architectural and Engineering Plans (7628 items, in Atlanta): Master set of drawings, plans, and construction changes on 42 FHA multifamily projects in Georgia, 1960-65. Master set of drawings, plans, and construction changes on 65 FHA multifamily projects in Georgia, 1960-70 . Drawings, plans, and specifications for FHA rental projects in Georgia, 1950 .

SEE ALSO 31.3.

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 31.3 TEXTUAL RECORDS (GENERAL RECORDS)
1938-58

Commissioner's correspondence and subject files, 1938-58 . Assistant Commissioner's for Operations program correspondence, 1936-56 .

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 31.4 CARTOGRAPHIC RECORDS (GENERAL)
1934-43

Maps (116 items): Counties designated as World War II defense areas, 1942 (1 item). Outline maps showing jurisdictions of insuring offices; regional, state, and district offices; field offices; and Federal Reserve Banks, 1936- 46 (15 items). Trading centers in FHA regions, n.d. (12 items). Outline maps showing data concerning FHA insured mortgages, 1935-42 (20 items). Urban and rural population maps, 1930-40 (4 items). Rental areas of U.S. cities, n.d. (2 items). Maps showing growth patterns, 1763- 1934, of 11 U.S. cities (2 items). Graphs of urban characteristics, 1900-38 (15 items). Graphs summarizing FHA data on foreclosures, 1935-40 (25 items), and on mortgages, 1935-40 (16 items). Economic maps of the United States relating to phosphate centers; coal, oil, and natural gas; locations of refineries; and value of farm land, 1939-40 (4 items).

Architectural Plans (443 items): Selected FHA-insured multi-unit apartment projects in various locations, 1938-43.

SEE Maps UNDER 31.2.2.
SEE Architectural and Engineering Plans UNDER 31.2.3.

Finding Aids: Charlotte Munchmeyer, comp., Preliminary Inventory of the Cartographic Records of the Federal Housing Administration, PI 45 (1952).

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31.5 MOTION PICTURES (GENERAL)
1935-36

Construction, renovation, and modernization of homes, farm buildings, and commercial properties under FHA, 1935-36 (5 reels). Low-cost home construction, 1935-36 (2 reels). Home hazards and their remedies, 1935-36 (2 reels). Effect of FHA on building industries, 1935-36 (1 reel).

31.6 SOUND RECORDINGS (GENERAL)
1934

Radio programs explaining FHA operations and benefits, 1934.

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Bibliographic note: Web version based on Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives of the United States. Compiled by Robert B. Matchette et al. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1995.
3 volumes, 2428 pages.

Ordering information

This Web version is updated from time to time to include records processed since 1995.


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