Atlanta Housing Authority history

Construction of Clark Howell Homes and John Hope Homes began in the fall of 1939.

Palmer drafted new legislation introduced by Congressman Fritz Lanham of Texas called The Lanham Act and signed into law in October 1940.

In 1941, “The Tenants Committee from the University Homes Housing Project took the first initiative to provide public library service in the area.” (McPheeters, 50). The University Homes Reading Room was established under the supervision of the Auburn Branch Librarian.

By 1944, six additional housing projects (all were segregated, unfortunately) were completed.

At the end of the war, the Atlanta Housing Authority also operated temporary housing for war veterans in 1945 at the end of Grant Street in Atlanta’s first ward.

Antoine Graves Highrise, adjacent to Grady Homes project, was opened in November 1965.

University Homes remained an all African American community housing project until 1968.

One cannot ignore the ugly facts about the housing projects of Atlanta. It appeared that Atlanta was on track to repeating history, however, the idea of demolishing Techwood Homes in the 1970’s was halted by then mayor, Maynard Jackson.

Additionally, housing project communities had become the subject of a major research project which resulted in Congress establishing a 1989 Commission on Severely Distressed Areas.

By the 1990’s, The Department of Housing and Urban Development deemed the AHA to be one of the worst housing authorities in the nation.

Far sooner and far faster than other cities, Atlanta has systematically torn down its traditional brick and cinder block public housing projects, beginning in the lead-up to the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Williams first became interested in the story of Atlanta's public housing reform while a student at Georgia State University, and he began capturing residents' voices on film the day after he graduated in December of 2007.

Williams cites evidence from a 2011 study by Georgia States’ Deirdre Oakley, which found that most residents ended up in new places within, on average, three miles of their former homes.

Photograph 2013.00369, undated. (University Homes records, Photographs.