Demolition of the Harold Ickes Housing Projects in Chicago, Illinois

Chicago -- The Harold Ickes Housing Project in Chicago opened in 1955 with 9 buildings consisting of 738 units, housing hundreds of low-income families. Over the last couple of years, the buildings have emptied with families being relocated or moved to one of the other buildings within the Ickes. All of this has been in preparation for the demolition of all but three of the buildings in the Harold Ickes Housing Project.

I am a part of an anonymous non-profit organization that has been visiting the Ickes every week for over five years. I personally know many of the people there, their names, faces, children and details of their lives. I've been in the buildings, in their homes, held their babies, hugged them as a friend, laughed with them, cried with them, rejoiced with them and mourned with them. They have become a part of my life, a part that I'm watching come to an end.

When we first starting going to the Ickes, there were people everywhere, bustling with activity. The playgrounds were full of children and the basketball courts always had a game going on. Now, only a small amount of people are left and there are six empty buildings being gutted with demolition equipment sitting on what used to be playgrounds and basketball courts. The place has a desolate feel as I look around at the few children on the one playground still standing, an empty basketball court, and a stray person coming out of one of the three buildings still inhabited. My heart aches as I think of the people I no longer see, wondering what will become of their lives.

Do I think it's wrong that the Ickes are being torn down? No. I know what goes on in these projects. I've broken up plenty of fights, seen the violence first-hand, watched people fall to the ground and be taken away in ambulances because of some "bad" drugs they were sold and know others who died from those drugs. I've held babies that were later taken away from their drug addict mothers. I know people who have been shot and others that have been killed in these crime-filled buildings. I've looked into the eyes of a grandmother, my heart breaking with hers, as she told me she had to go get her granddaughter from school because her daddy had just been shot to death. I've seen and smelled the filth inside the buildings and remember the faces of the dirty, neglected children behind the doors of drug-filled apartments. I know the horrors that go on here, I've seen and experienced them first hand. I realize there is a need to spread the project population out, in hopes of eliminating the concentration of drugs, violence and crime. But not everyone who lives there is a part of these problems. All of them though are affected by the demolition and relocation.

What do the people that still live in the Ickes think about it being torn down and how is the demolition affecting their lives? I spoke with a few of the women who live there to find out. I got very different responses from them, which clearly depended on how all of it was altering each individual life.

Evelyn is a grandmother in her fifties who grew up in the projects, has spent her whole life in the projects and wants nothing more than to get out of the projects. She has not been a part of all the crime and violence of the Ickes. Instead she has been someone who has tried to make the best of her situation and does all she can to help those around her. She knows that mixing different projects together often throws rival gangs into the same territory, risking the lives of all who live there. Unfortunately, she's being told she will be moved to another project. Frustrated and angry, she's fighting against being relocated to the very thing she's trying to get away from. On top of her battle to get free from this demeaning environment, she was just diagnosed with cancer. Not knowing how long she will live, she's desperate for the chance of a better life. In tears, she says to me, "I've spent my whole life in the projects. I just want to get out."

Tamisha is a mom in her 30s. When I ask her how she feels about the demolition and relocation, she answers, "It's not fair. We were told we had four years and now we have four months." She's watching her family and friends in desperate situations. Not everyone is getting relocated, they just have to get out whether they have a new home or not. She knows a lot of people that are sending their kids to stay with family or friends because they have nowhere to go. People are even leaving state, trying to find a place to start over. She tells me how difficult it is to still be living in the Ickes. There used to be skate night and other special things for the kids to do, but all the activities for the children have been stopped. The residents are no longer allowed to barbecue or hang out by the playground. She's stressed by the whole situation and doesn't know what will happen next.

Sherice is a young, single woman that grew up in the northwest suburbs. She's only been in the Ickes for a couple of years. She is one of the lucky ones who gets to move back to the suburbs. I ask her what she thinks about the Ickes being torn down and she replies, "I think it's a good thing". She believes it will give people a chance to prosper by getting them out into a different world, away from the projects and gang violence. Her situation seems very hopeful, but I'm not sure she realizes that a lot of people aren't being given the chance she's been given.

I walk away from these interviews wishing everyone could have the opportunity that Sherice does, but I know that's not the reality. I agree that the Harold Ickes Homes have been a breeding ground of drugs, violence and crime. I know most people are just happy to see them go, but I wonder how many people consider the lives of those who live there, especially of those who haven't been a part of the problems and just want a better life? I call to mind the children born into this hopeless environment and truly hope they are given the chance of a better life. I remember the three women I just interviewed and wonder what the outcome will be for each of their lives. But most of all, I conclude how unproductive it is to relocate these people to another project. If the people leave the horrors of one project just to live in another, then what was the point in saying goodbye to the Ickes?