Chicago Opens First Public Housing Museum

Why this is here: The museum preserves wallpaper and other items salvaged directly from the original Jane Addams Homes building, built in 1938.

In Chicago, Illinois, Deverra Beverly’s vision became reality with the opening of the National Public Housing Museum. The museum occupies a former building from the Jane Addams Homes, constructed in 1938. It aims to preserve the history of public housing in the United States and the experiences of its residents.

The museum opened in 2025, twelve years after Beverly’s death, and features restored elements from the original building. These include murals, posters, wallpaper, and furnished apartments designed to evoke the past. Oral histories recorded from former residents are available in a dedicated “Rec Room.”

Chicago’s Plan for Transformation in 1999 demolished eleven public housing developments. This displaced roughly tens of thousands of families without guaranteed affordable replacements, representing the largest net loss of affordable housing in US history. Museum curators hope the space will inform current housing efforts, but acknowledge the need to fully understand past mistakes.