The Arctic Health Research Center began housing studies in 1955, with the cooperation and major financial support of the Division of Indian Health. The program was begun in response to the critical health problems of Alaskan aborigines--in particular, high tuberculosis incidence and death rates. The expenditure of millions of dollars on tuberculosis treatment for a relatively small population clearly indicated the need for basic measures such as adequate housing. After an analysis of the technical problems relevant to housing construction in remote Alaskan villages, four experimental houses were designed and constructed in the field. Each was occupied by an Eskimo family; in return for rent-free occupancy, the householders maintained the house and kept temperature records. As a result of these studies and other technological developments and advances, the emphasis in the field of housing for Alaskan aborigines has now shifted from the technical to the administrative and legislative aspects. The next step toward better housing in remote Alaskan villages should be the development of a realistic program of financing and supervision.
Alaska Medical Library - From: Fortuine, Robert et al. 1993. The Health of the Inuit of North America: A Bibliography from the Earliest Times through 1990. University of Alaska Anchorage. Citation number 810.
Cited in: Fortuine, Robert. 1968. The Health of the Eskimos: a bibliography 1857-1967. Dartmouth College Libraries. Citation number 116.