Depression-Era Planners Thought They’d End Poverty with Public Housing. Instead, They Created the Projects

History Unplugged Podcast

History Unplugged

Society & Culture, History

4.2 • 3.7K Ratings

🗓️ 4 September 2025

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In the 1930s, New Deal-era technocrats devised a solution to homelessness and poverty itself. They believed that providing free or low-cost urban housing projects could completely eliminate housing scarcity. Planners envisioned urban communities that would propel their residents into the middle class, creating a flywheel of abundance where poverty was eradicated. However, once construction began after World War II, these projects quickly became dangerous, poorly maintained slums, serving as breeding grounds for crime and decay. By the 1970s, crime rates were so high that levels of violence rivaled those of war zones in Sub-Saharan Africa.

What happened? Why did so many of the best and brightest who promoted housing projects—like First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt or city planner Robert Moses—create one of the worst government debacles of the 20th century? Why didn’t they foresee that housing projects would become hotbeds of crime, completely destroying the social fabric of the neighborhoods they aimed to help? Today’s guest is Howard Husock, author of “The Projects: A New History of Public Housing.” He explains how we got here, detailing the tragic rise and fall of public housing and the pitfalls of other subsidy programs. He takes us inside a progressive movement led by a group of New York City philanthropists, politicians, and business magnates who first championed public housing as a solution to urban blight. We explore everything that went wrong and what can be done to avoid these same mistakes in the future.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Scott here with another episode of the History Unplug podcast.
0:08.0	In the 1930s, New Deal era technocrats came up with the solution to homelessness
0:12.4	that they thought would not only solve it, but could even solve poverty itself.
0:17.3	They believed that providing free or low-cost urban housing to those in need could eliminate housing scarcity completely.
0:24.2	Planners dreamed of urban communities that would vault its residents into the middle class,
0:28.9	creating a flywheel of abundance where poverty was eliminated altogether.
0:33.1	But once building began, after World War II, these projects quickly became dangerous and poorly maintained slums, breeding grounds for crime and decay.
0:40.9	By the 1970s, crime was so high in these projects that rates of violence equaled that of war zones in sub-Saharan Africa.
0:47.8	What happened? Why did so many of the best and brightest promoted housing projects, like First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt or city planner Robert
0:54.6	Moses create one of the worst government debacles of the 20th century.
0:58.5	Why didn't they see that housing projects would become hotbeds of crime and completely
1:01.8	destroy the social fabrics of neighborhoods they were trying to help?
1:05.1	To explore these questions, we're joined by today's guest, Howard Husok, author of The Projects,
1:09.5	A New History of Public Housing.
1:11.2	He explains how we got here, detailing the tragic rise and fall public housing and the pitfalls of other subsidy programs,
1:17.4	and we look at a progressive movement led by a group of New York City philanthropists, politicians, and business magnets.
1:22.6	The first champion public housing is a solution to urban blight, but most of all, why everything went wrong with this
1:27.8	program and what can be done to avoid mistakes like this in the future. Hope you enjoy this
1:32.2	discussion with Howard Hussack. And one more thing before we get started with this episode, a quick
1:39.3	break for a word from our sponsors. Do you ever struggle with your prayer life? Maybe you wonder what to pray or how to deepen your connection with God.
1:48.0	You're not alone.
1:49.6	The Grace Daily Devotions app understands your struggles.
	...

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