July 10, 2025
When the National Public Housing Museum in Chicago opened its doors this April, its goal was for visitors to better understand the policies that have shaped public housing over time.
Even more than that, though, its staff wants public housing to feel personal, regardless of where you grew up.
Located in the only remaining building of the Jane Addams Homes, one of Chicago's first public housing developments, the museum shares its history through the lens of the people who have lived in public housing all over the U.S. "One of the touchstones for the museum is the idea that 'never again will a single story be told as if it is the only story,'" says Executive Director Lisa Yun Lee. "Public housing has provided safe, affordable shelter and created vibrant communities, and it has also been a site of disinvestment, neglect, and racialized harm. We designed the museum to be a space where grief and joy coexist."
One exhibit features replicas of couch cushions, paired with family photos and stories, that belonged to New York City Housing Authority residents. A nearby display includes beloved items — from a yellow telephone to a wedding dress — from public housing residents across the country, including U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
In the lobby, a video screen welcomes visitors with the definition of public housing and its history as seen through newspapers and media references. Photos by Catherine Bixler.
During the apartment tour, visitors learn about the 10-person Hatch family, their hobbies and interests, and some of the issues the family faced during the Civil Rights Movement.
Another exhibit focuses on the complexity of funding public housing. The Millers River installation, based on an article in Places Journal, shows why the housing authority in Cambridge, Massachusetts, declared the property obsolete to ultimately preserve the development as privately owned affordable housing.
Guided tours take visitors through recreated apartments of families who lived in Jane Addams Homes in different eras. The first portrays the four-person Turovitz family's home during the late 1930s, including kosher kitchen supplies and a DIY darkroom, while the last residence resembles the 10-member Hatch family home in the '60s, with a retro TV and framed graduation photos.
"Ultimately, this museum is not just about buildings," Lee says. "It's about belonging."
The National Public Housing Museum is at 919 S. Ada Street in Chicago. More information is available at https://nphm.org/.
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