BiggerPockets Daily

A Short History of Public Housing in the United States

2025-02-24

Public housing has a long and complicated history, from ancient civilizations to the towering high-rises of mid-20th century America. But while the goal has always been to provide affordable housing, the results have often fallen far short of expectations. In this episode, we explore how public housing evolved—from medieval serfdom and Roman insulae to the infamous “projects” like Cabrini-Green. We’ll also discuss modern approaches, like Section 8 vouchers and tax credits, and whether public housing has a future in toda...