Atlanta Through the Archives

Public Housing Increases, Often Segregating or Displacing Communities (1940s)

Summary

With the recent success of Techwood and University Homes, Atlanta began numerous new housing projects and urban projects, which either created new segregated housing, or divided and displaced once-connected communities.

After leading the country’s construction of its first ever public housing projects, Atlanta in the 40s continued to attract national attention and fund even more projects – these housing sites were all segregated by race. New sites were built as ‘sister projects,’ where projects for black Atlanteans were built to match every project built for white Atlanteans. These sites were strategically chosen in order to demolish the city’s ‘slums’, and often exasperated existing residential segregation as well as displacement (many of those cleared in the preexisting neighborhoods could not afford to live in the newly built projects). Despite these considerations, slum clearance and public housing construction was largely viewed as a positive force not only for Atlanta’s population, but for black residents in particular. In the late 40s, the first stretch of expressway was constructed, leading to the displacement of even more Black families. In response, residents asked for the construction of more housing projects.