Levittowns
Sign in to savethumb|right|Aerial view of Levittown, Pennsylvania |222x222px Levittown is the name of several large suburban housing developments created in the United States (including one in Puerto Rico) by William J. Levitt and his company Levitt & Sons. Built after World War II for returning white veterans and their new families, the communities offered attractive alternatives to cramped central city locations and apartments. The Veterans Administration and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) guaranteed builders that qualified veterans could buy housing for a fraction of rental costs. Under Levitt &
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thumb|right|Aerial view of Levittown, Pennsylvania |222x222px Levittown is the name of several large suburban housing developments created in the United States (including one in Puerto Rico) by William J. Levitt and his company Levitt & Sons. Built after World War II for returning white veterans and their new families, the communities offered attractive alternatives to cramped central city locations and apartments. The Veterans Administration and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) guaranteed builders that qualified veterans could buy housing for a fraction of rental costs. Under Levitt & Sons, Levittown housing would maintain racial covenants that excluded non-Caucasian homeowners.
The first Levittown house sold for $7,900 and in a short period of time 17,000 units were sold, providing homes for 84,000 people. In addition to single-family dwellings, Levittowns provided private meeting areas, swimming pools, public parks, and recreational facilities.