Here's an alternative housing song about a house thata child built, with the help of his father, despite the wrath of the neighbor, and the goodwill of the city building chief and the newspapers. These are my introductory notes on the song from a draft of the Housing and Neighborhood Songbook:

THE TREEHOUSE SONG


As Darwin observed in The Descent of Man tree shelters were constructed and occupied by the orang in the islands of the Far East and the chimpanzees in Africa long before man evolved. However, there can be little doubt that early man further refined these secure platforms in the trees and that modern man has contributed significantly to this process. Still, I was surprised to read headlines in 1992 that announced that 7-year-old Benjamin Kolko's urban treehouse was the subject of some controversy. It seems the next door neighbor considered the treehouse an eyesore and demanded that it be taken down. When Ben's father refused to do so, the neighbor went to the City of Portland Building Department and filed a complaint. Thinking about the other great struggles that have been recorded in verse, I could not resist writing a song for Ben, which was later printed in the city newspaper. Ultimately, the Building Department issued a building permit with a list of requirements that were quickly complied with. Then, the Building Department Chief was gracious enough, and savvy enough, to lead a tour of the treehouse for a group of second graders.

THE TREEHOUSE SONG
(Words by Charles Ipcar © 1992 Tune: adapted from Beverly Hillbillies' Theme Song)

Ben built a house, high up in a tree,
Ben built a house for everyone to see;
It had cedar shingles and a plywood floor –
Three small windows and a big front door.

Ben built a house for all his friends to share,
They'd play all day, high up in the air;
The birds and squirrels were very surprised to see –
Three little kids hanging out in a tree.

But the next door neighbor shook his head and swore,
"The City's gonna hear about this big eyesore!"
Inspector Rowe came by and a letter soon was sent;
You know, Ben hadn't filed for a building permit.

"You can't build a treehouse without central heat,
A bathroom, a kitchen, or a bedroom suite;
The codes are quite specific", said Inspector Rowe;
"A building is a building, and this one has to go!"

Now Ben and his family don't know what to do,
Some friends urge compliance, some urge them to sue;
When you're only seven it's so hard to understand,
Why a treehouse in everyone's front yard isn't part of the City's master plan!

The treehouse is still there the last time I checked!

Regards,
Landlady's Daughter, not to be confused with Charley Noble