The Story Behind The Pruitt-Igoe Housing Project
The story behind the Pruitt-Igoe housing project is one of systematic neglect and and oppression. It represents the shortcomings of the United States government to help its most impoverished Americans. Today, the Pruitt-Igoe housing project serves as a bleak reminder of how the country turned its back on its own citizens. The “myth” surrounding Pruitt-Igoe represents the mystery as to why the project failed as badly as it did. After the destruction of the project, Pruitt-Igoe became a national symbol of the failure of the 1949 Housing Act. As discussed in the video, the housing project’s downfall has been attributed to many different factors. These range from neglect on behalf of the government to the way resident’s treated the complex. Socioeconomic …show more content…
From its conception, Pruit-Igoe, and many similar housing projects, were built to address the worsening slum conditions. While this might seem righteous, the real motive for these redevelopments were far more superficial and were actually aimed at fixing aesthetics. Instead of combating the poverty crisis that produced slums, the government was more interested in moving these impoverished people into what was considered less of an eyesore. In the case of Pruitt-Igoe, poverty only worsened as many of the businesses in St.Louis relocated to newly developed areas just outside of the city. These areas were inhabited by white, middle class, families that sought refuge from urban living. Contrary to government predictions, the city’s population decreased over time. This would prove to be a huge miscalculation as it left the poor without any means to make a living. When Pruitt-Igoe was completed, money was not properly allocated for its long term maintenance. This led to dilapidated buildings and ignored basic needs of residents. The neglect included uncollected trash, lessened grounds security, and an overall abandonment of any repairs the building required. As a result, Pruitt-Igoe fell into disarray and its residents became increasingly frustrated. The combination of systematic poverty and neglect lead to an increase in crime which would ultimately lead
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