Professor D. Bradford Hunt, Associate Dean of the Evelyn T. Stone
College of Professional Studies and Associate Professor of Social Science and
Chair of the Department of Professional and Liberal Studies, has published a
new book entitled Blueprint for Disaster: The Unraveling of Chicago Public
Housing. Roosevelt Librarian Jennifer Lau-Bond recently interviewed Professor
Hunt about his newest publication.
Why did you want to write a book about public housing in Chicago?
I wanted to find the answers to a
deceptively simple question – what went wrong with public housing? It was
clear that something had gone terribly awry, and the answers written by others
left me unsatisfied. Digging into the topic, I found surprising stories
about past policy decisions, and these stories added to my desire to write a
book. Finally, it had been over 25 years (1983) since someone had written
a history of the Chicago Housing Authority, and it was time to assess its rise
and fall.
Was there a moment when public housing in Chicago went wrong, or was it just doomed from the start?
Public housing in Chicago
Can you tell us about the types of research you needed to do for this
project?
Some of the most important
research was done at the Chicago Housing Authority’s archive, which is a
collection of file cabinets stored in a poorly-lit warehouse on the far south
side. (The warehouse was in terrible shape, and I had nightmares that it
would burn down, turning all that valuable history into ash). I spent
hours poring over files trying to understand the bureaucratic records and the
voices, pressures, and policies behind them. But the material yielded new
stories and new information that had not been previously discussed.
Beyond archival work, I also interviewed numerous people engaged in public housing work – everyone from current residents to former executive directors. The hard part of the topic is that the research phase could have been endless. I had to stop the research and start the writing – a problem that many students have as well!
In the book, you mention New York City's Housing Authority as an example of a
“successful” housing program. Is this the only example of success? What other
models exist for public housing projects that are sustainable while still
accomplishing their goals?
New York is one of the few large public housing authorities in the U.S.
Instead of large-scale projects,
we now know that a range of affordable housing options should be offered in
every city. Some families simply need an income subsidy and are fine; the
federal Housing Choice Voucher program works for them. Other groups, like
single men, are often best served in new Single Residency Occupancy
developments. And some need what we call “Supportive Housing,” especially
for families suffering from severe problems like addiction and mental
illness. Supportive Housing is often subsidized by government but managed
by non-profit social service agencies who have the knowledge to help those most
in need.
What were the best and worst parts of the writing/publishing
experience?
Just as in any student research
paper, I had to make sure that each paragraph was focused on moving the story
forward. There was no room for “fluff” in this book, and the editors made
sure that I “drove a narrative” in my writing. Fortunately, I had a lot
of help not only from my editors but from many volunteer readers of the
manuscript, including my Mother, a former English teacher. She’s my
secret weapon! Thanks Mom!
Banned Books week is September 26th through October 3rd.
From the American Library Association:
The Roosevelt University Library has created a LibGuide listing the many banned books featured in our collection, as well as providing resources on how, when, where, and why books are challenged and censored all over the world.Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States.
The books featured during Banned Books Week have been targets of attempted bannings. Fortunately, while some books were banned or restricted, in a majority of cases the books were not banned, all thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, booksellers, and members of the community to retain the books in the library collections.
Click Here to view the Banned Books LibGuide
CELEBRATE YOUR FREEDOM TO READ: CHECK OUT A BANNED BOOK!
