Amalgamated Housing Corporation, 98 Van Cortlandt Park South, ca. 1929.

In the 1920s a new law was passed that allowed for various tax and financing benefits to developers willing to build affordable housing. The Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America (founded in 1914) saw this legislation as an opportunity to create cooperative housing for their members. Their first effort was the Amalgamated Houses. The eventual eleven buildings of the complex were begun in 1927. The design and layout of the structures were specifically aiming to correct the health and quality of life problems that plagued the older tenement buildings. The design of Springsteen and Goldhammer created apartments with proper light and airflow and provided a large interior courtyard that all apartments looked out on. Along with the residential spaces, the complex also provided a rich community environment with newsletters, educational activities, a library, and a supermarket.