End of An Era for Some Public Housing Projects

The Lena Canada Homes, nicknamed 'Vietnam,' leaves a legacy of crime; despite the need for housing, many of its residents are happy to see it go.

1 minute read

October 20, 2003, 2:00 PM PDT

By Connie Chung

The Cook County Housing Authority recently boarded up the Lena Canada Homes Site One, a public housing project built in the 1970's, in Ford Heights, IL. "It was one marked by drive-through drug deals, shootouts over gang territory, a corrupt police force, and ultimately a murder so brutal it reverberated through the country and brought reform to all of Ford Heights. As Cook County housing officials reassess how to provide shelter for the region's poorest, the closing of the project has cut into the number of low-income homes in the village. Despite the loss, few are lamenting the final days of a place that at its worst drained lives and vitality from an entire town."

Thanks to Connie Chung

Read the full story: End of grim era in Ford Heights

Friday, October 17, 2003 in The Chicago Tribune

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