Operation Breakthrough was a program of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, authorized by the Housing Law of 1968.,[1] a 3-phase HUD demonstration that tested innovative building materials and methods.[2]
George Romney announced Operation Breakthrough in May 1969, four months after joining President Richard Nixon’s cabinet as secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).[3]
It was intended to increase the amount of housing available to the poor and it initially had Nixon's support.[4] Based on his automotive industry experience, Romney thought that the cost of housing could be significantly reduced if in-factory modular construction techniques were used, despite the lack of national building standards.[5] HUD officials believed that the introduction of this technique could help bring about desegregation; Romney said, "We've got to put an end to the idea of moving to suburban areas and living only among people of the same economic and social class".[6] This aspect of the program brought about strong opposition at the local suburban level and lost support in the White House as well.[7] Over half of HUD's research funds during this time were spent on Operation Breakthrough, and it was modestly successful in its building goals.[8][9] It did not revolutionize home construction, and was phased out once Romney left HUD.[9] But it resulted indirectly in more modern and consistent building codes and introduction of technological advances such as the smoke alarm.[10]
While Operation Breakthrough made little impact in the United States, it radically influenced other countries, as Japan and Sweden.[11]
