Nixon’s Nonprogram for Housing

On January 5, 1973, President Nixon, with but little advance warning, suspended all federal housing subsidy programs. The Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Farmers Home Administration of the Department of Agriculture were ordered not to process any new applications for subsidized housing. Projects “in the pipeline”—to use the jargon of housing officials for what has been approved but not yet built—were unaffected. Somewhat later, incoming secretary of HUD Jam...