The war effort and the revitalization of Fort Custer swelled greater Battle Creek's population by about 7,500 in 1940 and 1941, resulting in an acute housing shortage. The federal government responded by building 250 houses on a 35-acre cornfield south of West Territorial Road and east of 20th Street. Prairieview Homes, as it was called, accommodated non-commissioned officers and civil service employees of the army. The city received plans for the $773,000 housing project on Feb. 4, 1941, and families began moving in on June 14. Rents ranged from $15 to $23 per month, to which was added $8.05 per month for utilities.