IN KANSAS CITY, MO., 208 NEGRO FIVE YEAR OLDS WERE STUDIED TO EXAMINE THE INFLUENCE OF HOUSING UPON CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND TO COMPARE THE RELATIVE INFLUENCE OF HOUSING ON HEAD START AND NON-HEAD START CHILDREN. FOUR GROUPS OF 52 CHILDREN EACH INCLUDED (1) HEAD START, PUBLIC HOUSING, (2) HEAD START, SLUM HOUSING, (3) NON-HEAD START, PUBLIC HOUSING, (4) NON-HEAD START, SLUM HOUSING. INSTRUMENTS USED WERE "MOTHER INTERVIEWS" AND CALDWELL'S "THE PRESCHOOL INVENTORY" WHICH WAS A POST-TEST. THREE HYPOTHESES WERE STATED (1) HEAD START CHILDREN FROM BETTER HOUSING (GROUP 1) WILL SURPASS THE OTHER GROUPS IN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, (2) NON-HEAD START CHILDREN FROM SLUM HOUSING (GROUP 4) WILL SHOW LEAST GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND (3) GROUPS 2 AND 3 WILL SHOW THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF HOUSING VERSUS AN ENRICHMENT PROGRAM IN FACILITATING DEVELOPMENT. RESULTS SUPPORTED THE THREE HYPOTHESES, BUT SOME UNCERTAINTY REMAINED BECAUSE PRE-TESTING HAD NOT OCCURRED. (LG)