Municipal emergency housing construction from the beginning to the 1910s – the era of wooden barracks

In Budapest’s social policy, the establishment of emergency housing appeared much earlier than the construction of small apartments. The primary reason for this was that such housing was created for crisis management purposes: initially to prevent the spread of cholera, and later for the temporary accommodation of those evicted due to rent arrears. These measures served the public interest (curbing the epidemic), but an important factor was that the construction of these housing units did not create competition with private enterprises, as the city provided housing for a segment of the population with precarious rent-paying capacity. Moreover, these emergency housing units were not a financial loss for the city, meaning they did not harm the city's taxpayers.

The first emergency housing settlements were established in 1886. Within three weeks, five wooden barracks were constructed, featuring 78 family rooms and 5 shared dormitory-style rooms for single individuals, accommodating approximately 800 people. Each settlement included 1-3 latrine buildings with four seats each, a laundry and bathhouse on Köztemető Road, and a fuel warehouse on Külső Váci Road (where firewood was collected for needy residents of the city). Additionally, in case of emergency, particularly anticipating the return of cholera, a mortuary was also added to the settlement.

The emergency housing in District I was constructed on the plot bounded by Vérmező/Attila Street and Körmöci Streets, on the site of the former Aszalay Barracks, where the Attila Street primary school stands today. Two barracks were erected on this site: one designed to accommodate 14 families with separate family rooms, and a communal barrack providing lodging for 80 people. In 1895, these barracks were relocated to the grounds of the Buda poorhouse at 115-117 Attila Street, where they remained until 1900.

At 13-15 Váci Road in District VI, on the plot bounded by Bulcsú Road, Fóthy Road, and Ferdinánd Square (parcel number 2930/1), two family and two communal barracks were established. In 1894, the site was expanded with one additional family barrack and later another communal barrack. This settlement operated until August 1915.

There were also emergency housing units in District VIII at 19 and 21–23 Köztemető Road (now Fiumei Road) on both sides of Alföldi Street, on plot nr. 5874. These units were located on the site where the headquarters of the National Social Insurance Institute (built in 1912/13, now the building of the Pension Insurance Department) stands today, and across the street on the plot at 21–23 Fiumei Road (the latter built as part of the small housing construction campaign under Mayor Bárczy’s tenure). On this plot, one family barrack and two communal barracks were established, and in 1894, it was expanded with an additional family barrack. This settlement operated until 1912, when the small apartment block was constructed.

In District X, at the intersection of Jászberényi Road and Harmat Street, on city-owned plots under nr. 7487, designated for this purpose as early as 1869, a family barrack was established in 1886. Subsequently, it was expanded with an additional family barrack and a communal barrack. In 1910, these barracks were demolished to make way for the construction of a small apartment block.

In the first months after their establishment, the emergency housing units were not popular: “The majority of them still remain empty. It seems that the individuals who have been provided these dwellings are not adequately informed about the purpose of the barracks [...] Many prefer to spend their time in their familiar cellar dwellings [...] Councilor Lung recently brought 17 individuals from dirty hovels in Buda to these accommodations with police force at night, but the next day only five of them showed up, and on the third day, none.” (A szükséglakások. [The Emergency Housing Units.] Nemzet, 7 November 1886, 5.)

In 1887, the emergency housing units were made a permanent fixture. “The chief physician inspected all the emergency housing units and found that the separate rooms in these units are currently not used by those evicted from their homes, but rather by those who, knowing they cannot get cheaper accommodation, do not look for other housing. The dormitory rooms, on the other hand, are mostly used by homeless people.” (Budapesti Hírlap, 11 April 1889, 3.)

Accommodation in the family rooms cost 15 kreuzers per day, while in the dormitory rooms it cost 5 kreuzers. According to a report from 1892, in the six years since their construction, nearly half of the investment had been recovered, including maintenance costs. Moreover, the earlier concern that the establishment of wooden barracks would increase the number of fires in Budapest was not substantiated.

Later on, the emergency housing units became more popular: “[...] at the initiative of the epidemic committee, temporary emergency housing units constructed by the city last year for those displaced from crowded and unhealthy dwellings in the Districts VI and VIII were in high demand. From the establishment of the emergency housing units until the end of November 1887, a total of 13,351 families and 58,081 individuals found refuge, and the revenue amounted to 5,959 forints and 40 kreuzers. However, the emergency barracks erected in District X and Buda were hardly utilized." (A fővárosi járványbizottság utolsó ülése. [The last meeting of the Budapest Epidemic Committee.] Orvosi Hetilap, 1 January 1888, 20.)

In the early 1890s, cholera returned to Budapest amidst ongoing overcrowding in the city. In response, the municipality established four new sites, totaling 9 barracks by 1892. These facilities provided housing for 52 families at a time. The rooms varied in size: 17 m² rooms accommodated families of 4-6 members, while 28.8 m² rooms were allocated for larger families of 6-8 members. Among the four dormitory rooms, two were segregated by gender. The design of these rooms aimed to meet the minimum standard of 10 m³ per person, as indicated by contemporary statistics defining the lower limit of overcrowding.

In District I, at 10 Promontori Road (now Budafoki Road), near the junction with Csíky Street, a family and a communal barrack were built, and an enclosed building was also used to accommodate those evicted due to infectious diseases. The barrack facilities were discontinued in 1899 due to the construction of the University of Technology campus, and a new emergency shelter was established for the needy residents of the district at 2 Lenke Road (later Bocskai Road, plots nr. 13473-13474).

On plot number 1370, located at 59 Szentendrei Road and 3-4 Miklós Square in District III, a family and a communal barrack were established. The site was complemented with a drying shed, and in 1898, the communal barrack was converted into family rooms. The facility operated until the 1910s.

On plot nr. 7309 along Külső Kerepesi Road, adjacent to the Ferenc József Cavalry Barracks in District VII, authorities also established emergency housing. Here, 8 families were accommodated in one barrack, and two communal accommodations were also set up for those displaced. The site remained operational until 1915.

In District VII, behind the water tower on plot nr. 2671, bordered by Stefánia Road and Egressy Road, at 10 Gizella Road, a family barrack was established with its own washroom facilities. Adjacent to this, temporary accommodations were planned for visitors arriving for the Millennium celebrations, but the permanent upkeep of these did not materialize as planned. Therefore, the single barrack behind the water tower remained in use until the plot was sold in 1911.

The last major construction of emergency housing in Budapest at the end of the 19th century took place in May 1894. In this initiative, 18 wooden barracks were erected, providing a total of 178 rooms, along with a communal barrack capable of housing 60 individuals. These settlements also included toilets and most had laundry facilities as well.

In District V, in the area between Kárpát Street and near the Vizafogó embankment, situated at lot nr. 1365, three barracks were constructed. These barracks provided accommodation for a total of 14 families each and remained in use until 1900.

As part of the program, in addition to the aforementioned constructions, three other sites were expanded: on Külső Váci Road with two barracks accommodating 12 families each, on Köztemető Road with three buildings housing 14 families each, and in Harmat Street with two barracks for 12 families each. All of this clearly indicates that Budapest increasingly prioritized the establishment of family barracks.

Based on the results of this program, District IX also saw an increase in emergency housing. At 67 Mester Street, on plot 9577/a, a family barracks and a communal barracks were established, which according to aerial photographs, remained standing even during the Second World War.

Similarly, the group of six barracks accommodating 14 families each, built on plots 9631/a/1 to 9633/a/2 a 22 Vágóhíd Street, served for a long period as well.

Laura Umbrai (Translation from Hungarian: Barbara Szij)

(April 2024)