No Simple Solutions: Chicago’s Public Housing Transformation

After a short reading by Urban Institute senior fellow Susan J. Popkin from her new book, No Simple Solutions: Transforming Public Housing in Chicago, a panel discussion will draw on themes from Chicago’s experience and tie them to a broader conversation on neighborhood revitalization policies. Popkin’s book tells the story of how a social experiment affected the lives of very low income African American residents who suffered through the worst days of the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA). The CHA’s story offers important lessons for cities still grappling with the legacy of racial segregation and failed federal housing policies, which panelists Ron Ashford, Mary Brown, Rolf Pendall, and Susan J. Popkin will explore. Urban Institute scholar Rolf Pendall will speak about the implications of federal place-based initiatives that strive to address systematic inequalities that have created distressed neighborhoods, and the panel will address the challenges of ensuring these efforts improve the life chances of residents in these distressed communities.