I love being from Borinquen 🇵🇷..so much music, joy, and shared culture. I grew up here with my grandmother that just recently passed. A tribute to my grandmother Maria and all the children she has raised in her control. The strongest women I have ever come across and I…

My family has lived in the projects for generations, and when I was raised here, originally, I didn’t see anything of it. My parents, young, beautiful Puerto Rican and Costa Rican kids, did the best that they can to make sure I felt comfortable at home. They met on…

I dont know where my family would be without Public Housing. My parents were Cuban Immigrants and when they arrived in the Country in 1980 my paternal grandparents were living in Patterson Houses. Here I am with my paternal step-grandmother, but I never called her step anything. No one…

I grew up in the Robert Taylors project, Englewood, The Wild 100’s, Woodlawn, Back of the yards, and Auburn Gresham communities. The pictures above are from around late 1996 inside of the 5135 building of the Robert Taylors projects which was located on the Southside of Chicago before the demolition…

This photo was taken in 1963, which was quite some time ago. Many buildings which would make up Horner hadn’t been constructed. However, it is a photograph of my family and the building we lived in, known as 150. In the background, before low-rise buildings were constructed is a…

I’d be lying if I said my father’s name alone wasn’t enough to protect my brother and I back in the day. I knew him as Daddy, Dad, or Pops. Patterson knew him as G-Bone, or even Monstruo to a lot Hispanic folks in the community. As a former…

my great grandmother was my grandmother because she raised my mom. Lois Gilmore Marable was born in 1931 a capricorn of course, 1 of the eldest of 18 kids. So naturally her home in Marcy was the family meet up. She lived in the building where the marcy daycare…

It seemed like every Sunday was a celebration in my family. We were super close, everyone would come over to my house because my grandma was living with us. My grandma was the nucleus of my family in NYC. She was hilarious and everyone loved her. She was honest….

My mom always looked forward to community events like the Old Timers reunion which was held annually. She loved when the block would come together like this – it gave her a reason to do what she loved to do best, feed the hood. She’d whip up her best…

Very rarely painted, are the pictures of Fathers in our community and if so, not with the best of paint and brush stroke.  However, they were there; on set, on call & on board with THEIR families in THEIR homes. Mike, lovingly known as Mike Byrd was a Husband…

I grew up in the projects. I remember spending hours as a young girl with all my friends in the park. I remember getting Italian ice treats through a window from the lady on the first floor, I remember neighbors bringing small blow up pools for us to relax…

 I remember the first time I met my grandfather and his wife I was about 6 years old and my mom made the move from California back to East Harlem, New York. I spent a lot of days in my great grandmas house in Washington Houses. “ Wash” was…

Preparing for a special day as I am the first in my family to graduate from an academic institution like high school. I felt like a superstar as I was walking outside with my family; many people from my community was congratulating and cheering me on in support. Through…

This digital archive shares the authentic stories of public housing residents through photos, videos, and stories, and we are currently seeking submissions. Submitted stories can take up to a few days to appear in the feed.