Wartime mobilization model inspired proposals for mass public home construction

Evidence

To hasten the industrialization of homebuilding, Abrams called for a massive program of public construction. The wartime mobilization of industry provided the model. Instead of contracting for ships and airplanes, the government could order as many as 500,000 homes a year, and the sheer size of the contracts would stimulate construction companies to achieve unprecedented cost efficiencies. “When mass orders are given,” Abrams wrote, “mass production will follow.” The contractors would be able to borrow money on favorable terms, purchase building materials at wholesale prices, use standardized parts, and manage labor and equipment efficiently. Eventually, the government contracts would force the entire industry to learn the lessons of large-scale operations. — Adam Rome, The Bulldozer in the Countryside, 117