Housing projects are a place where you can find the friendliest and most generous, but poorest people in the country, being terrorized by a relatively tiny percentage of criminals.

I grew up in the Projects in the 60's & 70's we had no roaches the garbage was being burnt & we had housing cops & folks cared , A true village.

I appreciate how you make it a point to say not all people in these places are bad. I grew up in the Marbel Hill projects in the Bronx. I feel extremely lucky because my projects was pretty low key. It was dirty. But there was no gang. Never seen anyone get robbed. Never seen a fight or heard a gun shot. My cousin grew up in Castle Hill in the Bronx, one of the worst projects out there. We turned out completely different. My neighborhood the guys were just worried about playing video games. His neighborhood was like a war zone.

I have 2 Robert Taylor Home stories. I worked for a private ambulance service in suburban Chicago. We did a lot of non-emergency transports and ambulance back-up coverage for some Chicago FD houses. I got dispatched for a wheelchair transfer from hospital to home. The patient was probably 6'6" or 6'8", at least 250 lbs of muscle, with a cast from knee to toes on the left leg. We take him home to Robert Taylor homes. He tells us 14th Floor. We wheel up to the elevator - which were always slow because of kids playing with them, and someone says the elevators have been broken all day. My partner, myself, and the patient didn't want to hump up 14 stories of stairs. We were about to call for assistance when the elevator door opens, and 3 repair guys are inside and see us standing there. They said "QUICK - GET IN" so we did. Then they asked us which floor. They held it at the floor while we delivered the patient. He was really nice and extremely cool. His mamma wanted my partner and I to stay for cake, but we had to leave. She insisted we take a piece with us and for the elevator guys too. I don't want to think about what could have happened if not for the elevator guys. 2nd Story: Came in one morning and there's a note next to the timeclock. "Effective immediately no [company] employee is required to enter any CHA (Chicago Housing Authority) facility without police escort " I asked the dispatcher why the new policy and he says to go look at the ambulance parked out back. I counted 7 bullet holes on the side of the rig. There were more on top. The ambulance pulled into one of the Roert Talor buildings and someone with a rifle opened fire from above on the ambulance.

The Marcy projects is where they hold the World Series of Dice.

Buildings with 11 floors that have elevators that only go up 3 floors--say no more.

I was born and raised in Cabrini Green from 1965 to 1969. I was blessed our family moved into a house on Chicago's west side in 1969. It was 12 of us. I only remember riding my tricycle one day and my brother yelling, "get in the house, they're shooting again". I think I was 2 or 3 years old when that happened. It was sad for most of my family because they remembered more bad stuff than me. I was second to the youngest and barely remembered anything that happened there. We all turned out to be very fortunate during our years in Chicago. We all had healthy lives and didn't struggle much after that. I always give God the glory for all that has happened to all of my family. We never lost any family from violence in the streets. God bless y'all 😊.

The Cabrini-Green projects was also the unofficial home of the Evans family in 'Good Times'. They never said it's name on the air, but the building was featured in the opening credits, the insinuation being that the Evans lived there. But from what I've seen in this video ,things were hardly 'dyn-o-mite' there!

The “temporary “ housing remind me of portable classrooms in many public schools. They’re supposedly temporary solutions that eventually became permanent t structures even though they shouldn’t.

Fun facts, the Jordan Downs housing projects is where the 1993 film Menace II Society was filmed. The Robert Taylor housing projects is where Mr. T and Kirby Puckett grew up and lastly the Cabrini Green housing projects is where the sitcom Good Times takes place.

I lived in Cabrini when I was a kid in the late 70's for a couple of years. I still have yet to see anyone who can adequately put into words exactly how horrible that place was.

I grew up in the projects, earned my GED, Associates and Bachelors degrees and have a business today.

Cabrini-Green The reason why it took so long for the last building to come down in 2011 is because my grandma didn't want to leave her home. So they moved her in 1 of the new buildings they built over there.

I was born in 1993 lived in The Chicago project housing until 2009 it was a horrible upbringing but it was beautiful sometimes never forget where I come from so I can understand where I’m trying to go

I lived in project housing in East Tennessee for about 10 years after I moved out of my parents’ house. The first 9 years were great! Everyone was so friendly and wanted to help each other. It was beautiful too. I loved it there. However, that last year was a nightmare. Someone moved in and brought bed bugs. Those nasty little things spread all over the building and even outside to the separate units next door. I had to move and throw everything away and I mean everything! The only things I kept were a few nice outfits and some important paperwork. It’s really sad that people who don’t have a lot of income have to live in conditions like those. Most people there were disabled or like I was, just making a small amount of money each month. I was fortunate that I had family to help me move on and find a better home. Most of those people just had to stay and live with the bugs. Sad😔

I was not surprised to see Cabrini Green at the top of the list. I visited there in 1994 particularly the Elementary School there because I was studying education in impoverished city locations. I remember being shocked to hear the principal excited that recess had just recently started again because they finally stopped the sniper who had been shooting at people from the top of one of the buildings. I remember thinking wow in all my years of public school that is one thing we never worried about. Was not surprised to hear they started tearing them down given that most of the young children that I spoke with always said if I grow up not when I grow up. Thanks for the video.

Cabrini Green Projects was also where the 70’s show “Good Times” was filmed

I grew up in East Oakland. 1961, my parents bought a house on 66th Avenue. The original owners were moving to the suburbs (Walnut Creek) with government aid because a housing project was being constructed across the main road. My school Lockwood Elementary was divided. The main building that got all the sunlight, faced the lawn out front and had access to the library, media room, etc. I spent from K-6 grades in that building. The other two-story building was set in-field, away from everything. These students had different start times, lunch, recess. I asked a teacher when I was in the 4th grade what classes were in that building. She said it was for the kids who lived in the projects. The portables behind that building were for special ed classes. In the cafeteria, children who received free lunch had to stand in a different line and give their name to the lunch-lady who pretended not to hear anything forcing them to shout. Then would say out loud "Don't be shy because your momma doesn't have any money. Come and get this free food." There is a societal problem with people who spent their lives being discriminated against, begin to do this to others.

Cabrini Green was nothing compared to the Robert Taylor homes and the Stateway Gardens projects in the south side of Chicago. I worked in all of these projscts for a total of 18 years as a Paramedic and a Firefighter. from the late 80's to the early 2000's

I grew up in Cabrini it wasn't that bad there until crack cocaine came out

I feel for the old people, and poor people who are kept hostage by the gangs in public housing. Wild goons outside of your door all hours of the day, and night, standing outside all afternoon, blasting car stereos, and being disrespectful. Imagine sending your teenaged daughter out into that madness.

The mention of Techwood Homes in Atlanta was a somewhat troublesome area. After all, it was the first housing of its type built in the United States to help those who were having a hard time with their families. Over the years problems did occur when the prior ones found better housing and there were others who moved into apartments that became run down because the city didn't keep them up as they should. There were a few other projects that were closed and leveled due to the 1996 Olympics coming to town and that was a means to beautify the city. Even when some of the buildings in the Techwood area were torn down, a nice dormitory where most of the Olympian Athletes were housed. At least two others were torn down and most of the residents were pushed to the front of the line to get the first chance at housing outside the city's boundaries to help it look much better. One of which I serviced on a beer route was Perry Homes. It was known as one of the top dangerous projects in the area. It had a grocery store and a package store just across the street from the front of the project. On delivery days the acholic beverage companies had their delivery men meet at one of the stores in the early morning and service it. A policeman would be there to watch over us and our trucks while we were servicing the store. We would stay together and move as a group to the other location so we would have police protection. Several times when a beer delivery man was there making a delivery alone he was pulling the order off one side of his truck while beer was being taken off the other. A guy came up to me and said to stay still, "was my life worth more than a few cases of beer being taken of the other side"?...... And yes, the vast majority of the project's residents were nice people. That was the only place they had to live. The sad thing is people learn to fear the unknown and with any above average crime report, people don't want to take a chance.

You absolutely nailed it with Cabrini-Green, it was a horror show, by far more terrifying than the Hollywood film.

Watching this is so sad. I’m from the hood and definitely still wasn’t the projects but I saw so many of my friends murdered as teenagers and So many with long prison sentences. The ghetto is no joke and I feel so bad for any kids who have no choice in where they grow up

As an Illinoisan watching this video, I kept waiting for him to say Cabrini-Green cuz I knew damn well it was gonna be on here somewhere.

I painted the interior of the Cabrini Greene apartments with a rich church group out of Lake Forest. The stories the residents told were unbelievable. But in early 200’s, I lived down the street in Roscoe Village. I was told the reason it took so long for the buildings to be removed was because of the rat infestation. The city was worried all the rats would run into the new homes

Love your videos mate, been binge watching, cheers from Greece!

Queensbridge Projects aka QB home of Nas, Mobb Deep, Ron Artest and many other rappers, athletes and celebrities. So much talent came out of those Projects.

Some of these housing project look like a prison without any guard

Cabrini-Green in Chicago was also the setting for the TV sitcom GOOD TIMES!

As a Chicagoan who grew up on the north side even though I was born during the demolishing of Cabrini greens I grew up hearing about the horror stories of the projects

I grew up in Queens bridge and I experienced the most diverse and wonderful childhood in the 50’s and 60’s. There were all races and nationalities that lived in peace. I think this is why I can relate to anyone today. Wouldn’t trade it for anything. But times have changed, although you can say that about most things.

When I was in college in New Orleans I had my car stolen. It was found like 10 months later on a side street next to the Magnolia projects. The city of streets contacted my dad about the "abandoned car". It took like $600 to get it back into working condition. One good thing about it was that I was forced to walk 3 miles to school everyday along St Charles street, a very beautiful street will old style mansions. I have fond memories of those walks.

I live in Queens bridge 🌉 houses today, been here since 2003, when I first moved in I was very upset coming here, but throughout the years thank God it has gotten better and better each year , today 2022 I must say a big change for the better. Ever since they started renovations on Queens Borough Plaza, it trickled down to the Projects. Major improvements to Queens Bridge 🌆🌉🌆 Houses, more police presence, and Drug dealers evicted out of there. It's not the best by any means but it's not bad living here either.

This story from my brother. There was a convenience store in Dallas right across the street from a project. After an armed robbery, the owner told the police "Hurry! They ran straight across the street into the apartment building. If you go there now you might catch them." The senior police officer there looked at the convenience store's owner like he was insane, and exclaimed: "I'm not going in THERE!"

Whew, I thought growing up in Piedmont Courts (Charlotte, NC) was rough. Police stopped patrolling for fear of being ambushed by criminals. I made it out and never looked back - not sorry. 🙄

Lived in the south Bronx! Lived in the projects on the 15th floor. When the two elevators were broken! Had to do 15 flights with asthma! The summer was brutal!!

The one in the Cabrini Green project about a 9 year old girl being abducted in 1981 and never heard from again was particularly upsetting. 😢

I relocated to Illinois straight out of undergrad and began working with both Catholic Charities and Lake County DCFS as a case manager. I recall being told I had "earned my stripes" after my first home visit to Cabrini Green. It's been over 25 years, but I can still remember the feeling in the pit of my stomach, the smell of poverty, and despair the restless souls. I'm impathetic and empathetic; that visit would mentally, spiritually, and emotionally wipe me out. It held as much intense energy as a visit to the forensic unit of a mental health impatient facility. Many of them gave similar energy, like that of tortured souls. I recall wanting to know their stories. As many stared me down as I walked down the sidewalk, the children ran up to ask for money; some man stood in the entrance way, so I had to slide past him. A tenant alerted others of my presence yelling out, announcing that "5.0, probation, welfare, or the feds" were on the move

I experienced living at the Dearborn Homes 27th State Street. Stateway Garden 39th Federal Street, Robert Taylor Homes 22nd Street and Ida B. Wells Homes 36th East of King Drive..... The experiences was horrific but that was my experiences at that time (1990-1995.) None of the buildings exist today and I reside at a $275K condo today however we all still struggle on some level or another. I'm soo grateful that lifestyle is a far in distance memory of my past.

Imagine living in a project where they hold tours that’s so humiliating like why Revise: I’ve also read a comment saying the money gives back to the project housing so that’s good I guess but still😩

The (Pork n Beans Projects) in Miami Should be On This List Trust Me!!!

I knew Cabrini green was finished when Candyman showed up. 👀🤨😄

I feel so bad for the babies and the young innocent kids that are subjected to this trauma on a daily basis.

Briggs needs to do one on the most dangerous Trailer parks

I went to college in Chicago in the mid 80's. We were all warned, especially by the students who came from the projects to steer clear of them. You could see Cabrini Green from the Ravenswood elevated train. I always wondered where the residents went shopping because there were almost no businesses near the buildings except a few liquor stores.

I went to university at DePaul and did my student teaching at DuSable HS, smack in the middle of the Robert Taylor homes. Walking to the school from the CTA station in the late 1990's was quite the experience.

Cabrini Green was still around on Division St when I moved to Chicago in the 2000s. There's a nice Target store and town homes there now.

Well done video. Makes me feel sorry for the decent people who have to live in places like these.

Brownsville Projects in Bklyn should've been the worst one!! I grew up there my entire childhood!! The most brutal 💀

I grew up in the projects across the expressway from Robert Taylor Homes, and Stateway Gardens which was just as scary. We had to walk past those buildings every morning and afternoon to go to school. Once there a some beef between those gangs and the gangs in my projects. We had to take the bus home or walk all the way around to avoid being harrassed, hurt or killed.

I've never experienced living in the project but I'm sure there are lots of good honest folks living there. Sometimes you gotta do what you have too do no judging. This videos actually is an educational video for me.

The pink houses in East New York Brooklyn are even worse than Marcy. The Bronx also has some of the worst projects in New York such as the Bronx River and edenwald houses

When I was 6 years old in 1990, I lived in “Greenbriar Apartments” aka “Uzi Alley” to the city of Columbus, Ohio. That place is ingrained in me for life.

thank you so much for this informative history lesson. i find this information very useful.

I’m originally from the Bronx and other than the Chicago ones the other ones made me laugh so hard. You could’ve stayed in New York for all 10 of these lol Love your videos and thanks for sharing.

I always knew about Cabrini-Green because of Candy Man

Projects got bad when the generations upon generations became grandfathered into the same apartment for decades creating no hope or incentive for upward mobility , and then having a requirement for no father / men coupled with lack of housing funds recipe for disaster

I didn't catch where that first building that showed before Magnolia, but THAT place sent chills down my spine. Not that it is an unattractive building, it's actually quite appealing, depending on how much one is able to appreciate that which is finely macabre. Not often a building has that effect on me.

Tbh I’m from Los Angeles and have heard a lot about how bad these projects are and while I’ve never spent too much time..the times I have been didn’t seem too bad. Ive even been to a project housing in Los Angeles with neatly cut lawns, buildings, porches, etc!

I have never been more Intrigued as I am with with the Cabrini Green. I have even bought many books of first hand statements from former tenents. Just wow. I get chills at some of the true stories...

Cabrini-Green is where the Evens family of "Good Times" (think J.J. Walker) lived...the beginning of each episode even had a shot of these projects...

A friend told me about some projects in Boston that burned to the ground because two neighbors had turned a pair of apartments into a single apartment, and they tried to roast a pig in the bathtub which was fiberglass, and we're planning to use the exhaust fan to let the smoke out. A lot of people ended up homeless, and I would say they're pig ended up being overly done!

I’m surprised that St. Louis projects ended up on here twice. My family members live on the east side, I never realized how bad it was till I got older cause it just seemed normal to me. 😂

I lost my marbles when he mentioned the one that has the U turn on the freeway exit 🤣😂🤣

I’m surprised Brownsville Brooklyn isn’t up here

Old school Atlanta people know about Techwood. It was notorious. Atlanta had so many projects back in the day. East Lake Meadows was another notorious housing project.

I lived in Henry Horner, close to Robert Taylor Homes. I moved to Florida in 1968 when I was 15. Totally different lifestyle. Love it here.

I lived in some Miami projects during my childhood years; it was an experience that made me wiser far too early and naturally suspicious of people and their intentions. Even thou I’ve been (thankfully) living a middle class life for my adult life- I still lock/bolt my door immediately upon entry and always make sure to have keys in hand when I exit a building. It’s too ingrained in me.

I believe Cabrini Green was where "Good Times" was supposed to be set.

I'm from Chicago. I've never lived in any of those projects but I have friends who did. I watched both of them among the others be demolished. My grandmother lived right across the expressway from Robert Taylor and violence was a way of life and people were immune to what happened there. I stayed away as much as possible. If you had a car, you didn't even want to drop residents of over there really. Now most of them are either complete grass or gentrified apartments. On part of Robert Taylor they have opened a tennis complex... I'm sure residents would've never imagined that. Lol

Every housing unit you described - ooh I’ve gotta look into that after this video. Heellooo rabbit hole!

I grew up in the Nickerson Gardens and the 90s was no joke. All of south LA and Compton was war zone and still is. I now live in Texas.

I have a friend that lives in the Queensbridge projects. A few weeks back, the tenants in the apartment below his were murdered, and the apartment was torched. He had to go to the hospital for smoke inhalation. The evidence gathered point to a drug deal gone bad.

I used to live in Cabrini! We were there for 2 years until we moved to the south side 82nd and Troop. It was some tough times back then. I’m glad we made it out. I wonder about some of my old friends. I know a few died gang banging but most ended up lifers in prison. I always stay humble due to my upbringing as a kid. I will always love Chicago! ❤️🙏🏾

Pretty sure that Cabrini-Green is the project housing featured in the underrated Judgement Night from 1993. They show what it was like navigating the buildings, the fear that all residents had, and how the buildings are used by kids.

$10000 a week in "pharmaceutical" sales. Awesome euphemism Briggs!

I lived in three housing projects in Chicago. I had to watch this video to see if the Robert Taylor Homes or Cabrini-Greens made the list. I wondered if there could be ten housing projects in the United States that could be considered worse. I was not disappointed.

I used to live in a housing project when I was a kid in Chicago. The building was on 1237 W. Taylor St. If I may say so it was a very nice clean apartment. The building was a U shaped and in the center was a playground. After we moved in they brought us a brand new refrigerator, a new stove and painted the apartment for us. I really loved it there and I miss it. Right behind us was my school, Jacob A. Riis Elementary School. Unfortunately all that is gone now😟 How can I find a vintage photo of this building? Thx for your video. Peace and Love ☮️❤️

The elevators never work.

I’ve read that when public housing projects began their were standards to live there. If you or your family didn’t meet behavior standards you were evicted. Then lawyers got involved... And maintaining standards was illegal. So 90% of residents became at the mercy of the 10% who were criminals.

If Cabrini-Green is not on this list it’s not accurate! To be able to see it was insanity! I grew up in the Chicago area and in the 80’s Cabrini-Green was on the news every night, I used to have nightmares about it as a kid.

Your narration is lively, hilarious and hard hitting truths! I know; I LIVED in Cabrini O' Greens in the early 70's. Harsh. Keep it up! You're doing fine!!!

I love how he broke down the stat of 90% of working people and the 10% of raging criminals that scared us. All my friends parents worked in our projects. We all had fathers and stay at home moms but you grow up and ppl think opposite.

I live in a town in the outskirts of Barcelona, in Barcelona’s Iron Belt, and there have been several housing projects like this through history. Now, those once depressed neighbourhoods are thriving communities full of everyday life and small and local commerces. I personally think that, if well managed, this kind of public housing projects are not a bad thing for cities (its layout even encourages walking around). The problem comes when this is a solution only taken to house the poorest of the poorest; this developments should be incorporated to the city network.

My dad told me that when my grandmother divorced my grandfather (back in the 1960s), she had no choice but to move into the Seattle projects. From the way my dad told it, the Seattle projects were segregated at the time.

This was such an interesting video. The Candyman ref was the cherry on top. Palpable fear. Intense.

I live in Chicago, once worked for CHA, they did a lousy job of relocating Robert Taylor residents, and building replacement housing. It was named after Robert Taylor, Valerie Jarrett's grandfather, who worked for CHA.

“Wanna know why they call a project a project? Because it’s a “project.” - Jay-Z

I stayed in the projects in Chicago called Harold Icke's home for 20 yrs. Although I've been a Legal Secretary and Admin Asst for 30+ yrs. and a trained and certified Boy Scouts cubmaster of the Chicago area council. I had no choice as a divorcee with 4 children and a ward of the state of Kentucky had no family support. So I decided to assist as many youth with instilling work ethics from my own professional experiences for an example.

Nice presentation, I'm surprised that none of the Cleveland projects (Unwin, Central....) made the list, maybe a part two? I appreciate how you clearly separated the residents from the thugs in your presentation.

I have mixed feeling watching this. I grew up in the Robert Taylor project and while I knew it wasn’t the ideal place to grow up, it’s still home to me. It still bothers me to see the place where I grew up and have a ton of memories eradicated but I it did need to come down 🤷🏾‍♂️.

I was born & raised in Chicago. When I first started driving, my parents would warn me that one intersection that we never stop at was the intersection of Division & Halsted. (Cabrini Green)

I wonder if anyone was ever held accountable for building these failed projects that were torn down and so many lives affected and money wasted.

What about the park hill housing projects in Staten Island?

Pruiit-Igoe is legendary here in Saint Louis...But you missed the Cochran Garden Projects (where I was raised), The Peabodys, The O'Fallon Place apartments, anf the Blumeyers.

Here's a problem When they closed the public housing projects down in Chicago you know you have to relocate the people somewhere. Hey hard to believe but many where relocated just down the Adams tollway to Rockford, IL. Rockford went from a peacefully nice place to live to one of the most dangerous cities in America.

Good info! It would be interesting to know what the Chicago Mayor experienced while living at Cabrini-Green before leaving after 3 weeks. I'll look it up. I visited a project in Philly many years ago and it was rough.

I think that it says something to me anyway that the location of these high crime areas always seem to culminate in the same type area, buildings, and statistically mostly the same everything let's say. Maybe changing some of those things would be where the improvement could start. Note that crime will always exist there's no getting away from that but maybe community can change to atleast have more preventable measures in place in the future. Who knows you just have to give it your best because one can make a small difference but not change the world. Prayers and God bless ty for giving this information it is great to have.

This was put together well for the amount of time able to be spent on each location. BUT, please look in to Newark, NJ public houseing. There's a documentary "Life of Crime" that takes place in just one of many of the public houseing tenements just to get you started. Newark, NJ is better known as Brick City in homage of the houseing throughout the city. Please make a video about it.