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Altgeld Gardens Homes is a Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) public housing project located on the far south side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It sits on the borderline of Chicago and Riverdale, Illinois.

It was built by the federal government (Department of Housing and Urban Development) to satisfy the need for improved housing for African American veterans returning from World War II. In 1956, the project was transferred to the Chicago Housing Authority. Located in an industrial area on Chicago’s far South side, Altgeld was named after John Peter Altgeld, an Illinois governor of the 1890s. As one of the first public housing developments ever built in the United States, it has been determined to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Numerous manufacturing plants, steel mills, landfills and waste dumps—once bordered the 190 acre Altgeld Gardens site.

The residents have a growing concern about the number of deaths annually from cancer and other diseases that may be related to environmental hazards of their industrial neighborhood.[3] In addition, Altgeld Gardens was constructed at a time when asbestos was widely used in construction materials such as insulation, tile and other products. It has been found to be hazardous and in 1980, residents organized a grassroots campaign in the project to advocate for its removal from the complex flats.[citation needed]

“The residents have a growing concern about the number of deaths annually from cancer and other diseases that may be related to environmental hazards of their industrial neighborhood”

Their biggest problem down there is all the flying lead in the air.

About twenty years ago, I freelanced for a company in Chicago that photographed school events.

I was sent to photograph students in a school in Altgeld Gardens.

A teacher escorted me to the room where the photography would take place, and I noticed that all the students were girls.

I said to the teacher that i didn’t know there were single-sex schools in the CPS system.

He laughed and said this was a co-ed school, but the boys don’t come to school on picture-day.

He said that when the yearbooks are delivered, the local Police Precinct sends someone over to pick up half a dozen copies of the yearbook to use as mugshot books.

He said that the boys don’t want to be able to be identified, so they avoid having their photo in the yearbook.

True story.