Lucia Penskek Luka HWOC 21 April 2024 The Downfall of Public Housing Many people think that living in America means equality and justice for all. However, many people do not have that luxury. After the Great Migration, in the 1980s and 1990s, many Black Americans were pushed to the outskirts of the city to live in public housing units. These projects did not allow for people to get jobs or have the resources to be successful, causing many of them to live off of monthly welfare benefits, as described in There Are No Children Here by Alex Kotlowitz. When the Henry Horner Homes were first built they were described as majestic looking and it gave the people moving in a sense of hope. Over the years, the quality of the projects has become quite
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As a mother, LaJoe should have hope in her children, when she expresses concern and worry about the safety of her kids, it shows the readers how much greater of an issue this really is. This quote shows the harsh reality that the safety of the people living in the Henry Horner Homes is at a daily risk because of the violence. There is no doubt that violence is one of the main reasons for the undoing of public housing. In chapter 3, Kotlowitz describes the apartments, rooms and qualities. He describes the dirty looks of the walls and the amount of trash that is overflowing in the hallways. Kotlowitz then states, “And the medicine cabinet in each apartment's bathroom was not only easily removed, but was connected to the medicine chest in the adjoining apartment. Over the years, residents have been robbed, assaulted, and even murdered by people crawling through their medicine cabinet.” (Kotlowitz, 22). In the quote, it describes how the safety of the resident is at severe risk. Not only do these living conditions prove the lack of care these buildings get, but also how the lack of recognition from the public affects the overall quality of the
As a mother, LaJoe should have hope in her children, when she expresses concern and worry about the safety of her kids, it shows the readers how much greater of an issue this really is. This quote shows the harsh reality that the safety of the people living in the Henry Horner Homes is at a daily risk because of the violence. There is no doubt that violence is one of the main reasons for the undoing of public housing. In chapter 3, Kotlowitz describes the apartments, rooms and qualities. He describes the dirty looks of the walls and the amount of trash that is overflowing in the hallways. Kotlowitz then states, “And the medicine cabinet in each apartment's bathroom was not only easily removed, but was connected to the medicine chest in the adjoining apartment. Over the years, residents have been robbed, assaulted, and even murdered by people crawling through their medicine cabinet.” (Kotlowitz, 22). In the quote, it describes how the safety of the resident is at severe risk. Not only do these living conditions prove the lack of care these buildings get, but also how the lack of recognition from the public affects the overall quality of the