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GENERAL PUBLIC HOUSING INFORMATION



What is "Public Housing"?

Often people use the term "public housing" for any low-income housing that is funded by the federal government but public housing is only one of the different housing programs run by the federal government through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).   Public housing is distinguishable from other HUD programs in a few key ways:
  • It is owned, managed*, and operated by the local Housing Authority directly.  So, when tenants write their rent checks or ask for repairs, they deal with Housing Authority staff.
  • The golden rule: Tenants always pay 30% of their income in public housing. So far, there are still no "ifs, ands or buts" about this.
  • Public housing is grouped in "developments" (also known as "projects") where many multi-family units sit side-by-side.  (There are also some very few "scattered sites" in San Francisco).
  • Public housing serves "extremely-low-income" families. In SF, the average annual household income of public housing residents is $11,000. 
  • Public housing is the oldest HUD housing program.  Most buildings were originally built after world war II, in the early '50s.  Some developments have since been rehabbed through the HUD HOPE VI programs (in SF, Valencia Gardens, Bernal Dwellings, Hayes Valley, North Beach). *HOPE VI properties are usually managed by outside management agencies. 
  • In SF, over 80% of public housing residents are people of color. Over 50% are senior/disabled. 
  • Public Housing can be either designated as a family development or a senior/disabled development.  In SF, about 4,000 units are family and 2,000 are senior/disabled. 
  • Other HUD low-income housing programs include Section 8, HUD-subsidized housing and some other small programs. 

Go here to learn about tenant's rights in Public housing.

National Housing Law Project's Public Housing Page

National Low Income Housing Coalition's Advocacy Guide Public Housing Chapter

HUD's Public Housing Page

KnowledgePlex's Public Housing Resource Page

Tenant Organizing in Public Housing

ENFRONT-The National Public Housing Tenants Organization

The Coalition to Protect Public Housing (Chicago)



Learn about the Movie

In 1995, demolition began at Cabrini Green, one of Chicago's most "notorious" housing developments.
Infamous for poverty, gangs, drugs, and violence - Cabrini Green is also home to a strong community of African-American residents
- many of whom are fighting to stay. Filmed from 1995-1999, Voices of Cabrini is the story of how redevelopment is changing this neighborhood.
Publications from the


From The Center for Community Change(CCC):
(See CCC's menu here or download each below)