Chicago’s Public Housing

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1. The big picture: What are the broad, general dimensions of this problem or story, here in Chicago as of 2010?

As of 2010, “the ghetto” has been defined as the poor areas with dense African American populations. Nowadays the word ghetto not only describes a place, but is also used as an adjective to describe an area, or type of people in general. Chicago’s ghetto is typically referring to the south side of the city. The Chicago Housing Authority which was founded in 1937 was responsible for the majority of housing available for the city’s African American population, which was quite a controversial topic. Chicago’s ghetto today is still considered to be the south, and southeast areas of the city. However, today the term ghetto is used to describe not only the African American population, but new “ghettos” have sprung up among different cultural backgrounds and neighborhoods. A neighborhood like Pilsen would be considered a ghetto by some, housing a large amount of Chicago’s Latino population. The ghettos of Chicago are generally the poorer neighborhoods lacking white folk, noteworthy schools, security, and good housing. While African Americans are no longer strictly confined to housing projects like they were decades ago, some still face the challenges of life in the ghetto. They face the increased risk of gang violence, run down housing, and overall lesser standards for living conditions. That’s not to say that people living in the ghetto are okay with lesser standards, it’s simply stating that these are the conditions that people are presented with.

2. What’s new with regard to this issue? Have there been noteworthy and/or newsworthy incidents, changes, reforms, problems, programs, or developments over the past 4 or 5 ye...

... middle of paper ...

...ws, Events and Culture | Chi-Town Daily News. Web. 03 Mar. 2010. .

"Housing Bulletin: Low-Income Housing Developer Hit Hard by Downturn - Deal Estate - February 2009 - Chicago." Chicago Magazine - Dining, Shopping, Fashion, Entertainment, Real Estate, News and Events. Web. 03 Mar. 2010. .

"The Rise and Fall of Public Housing." Religion Online. Web. 03 Mar. 2010. .

"Understanding Community Change: A Look at Low-Income Chicago Neighborhoods in the 1990s." The Urban Institute | Research of Record. Web. 03 Mar. 2010. .

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