Chicago Opens First US Museum Honoring Public Housing History

A red brick building that once housed Chicago families now protects something equally precious: their stories.

The National Public Housing Museum opened its doors in 2025, transforming a former Jane Addams Homes building into the first museum in America dedicated to public housing history. It stands as a powerful reminder of both community strength and the lessons we can't afford to forget.

The journey began in 1999 when Chicago launched its Plan for Transformation. The city demolished 11 public housing developments and relocated tens of thousands of families without guaranteeing affordable housing would replace what was lost. It became the largest net loss of affordable housing in US history.

Local housing commissioner Deverra Beverly refused to let these stories disappear. She organized with Jane Addams Homes residents to create a space where their experiences would be preserved and honored. They understood something vital: place and memory are powerful tools in the fight for dignity and self-determination.

Beverly didn't live to see the museum open. She died in 2013, 12 years before her vision became reality. But the community she rallied kept pushing forward.

Architect Peter Landon designed the space to feel like stepping into living history. Visitors walk through apartments furnished exactly as they were, see wallpaper and items salvaged from the original buildings, and explore murals and 1930s posters advocating for public housing. In the Rec Room, you can listen to oral histories from people who actually lived in these homes.

The museum tracks more than the past. One exhibit maps current evictions across every state, connecting yesterday's housing crisis to today's ongoing struggle.

Why This Inspires

Museum leaders see this as more than preservation. Board chair Sunny Fischer told NPR they want housing professionals today to learn from both the successes and failures of public housing history. Executive director Lisa Yun Lee believes you can't solve today's social justice issues without understanding what history tried to teach us.

Millions of Americans need housing right now. This museum asks the questions that could help us build better solutions: What worked? What failed? What lessons are we still ignoring?

The museum honors Deverra Beverly's legacy while serving the future she fought for.