Ep 6. Public Housing Influenced by a 1970s Experiment

Retro Report on PBS is a news magazine series that brings up the untold stories that shaped the world in the present. In the season 1 episode 6 entitled Public Housing Influenced by a 1970s Experiment, the show investigates how the federal government's largest experiment in providing affordable housing formulated in 1970 greatly influenced the public housing policies in today's society.

The episode is divided into different arcs, each presenting a different take on the central theme of housing policies in America. It begins with a short background of what went wrong with the traditional public housing model in the USA. The cost per unit was too high, poor maintenance, and ultimately segregation into communities composed solely of low-income families. The situation was not sustainable, which calls for a new public housing policy to be put in place.

The show's first section interviews the experiment's creators, having them explain the vision behind their creation - the New Communities program. The program was fashioned to incorporate different social services into public housing to address social issues like poverty, racism, and urban decay. This part of the episode also interviews former residents of New Communities, who give their personal accounts of the model's impact on their lives.

Next, we witness how the New Communities program was implemented in two specific locations - Hartford, Connecticut, and Tupelo, Mississippi. The episode shows how New Communities transformed those areas, from the outset. The public housing in those locations was built within an expansive area, which allowed residents to bond with each other more efficiently. The floor plans were flexible, enabling occupants to customize their housing to suit their needs. Federally subsidized social services were positioned within the living areas, catered to provide assistance, meeting the inhabitants' particular needs.

The third section of the episode details the economic conditions of 1970, which ultimately led to the program's failure. President Richard Nixon's policy of decreasing the budget of the Department of Housing and Urban Development led to New Communities' abandonment. As a result, most of the poverty-fighting services were cut, and the project was left without adequate funding. The show features a segment highlighting what went wrong by having historians analyze why New Communities failed and the reasons for its swift termination.

The episode's last segment delves into how New Communities provide lessons for today's housing policies. The show interviews housing experts to get their assessments of what worked and did not work in the New Communities model. The new physical design of the units was incredibly successful and influenced other housing policies that implemented similar methods. Additionally, research shows that support services, such as job training and day center care, have provided tremendous benefits. These programs succeeding will depend on whether they receive the funding necessary to provide support to those who need it most.

In conclusion, this one-of-a-kind episode of Retro Report on PBS is a highly informative show that takes viewers on a fascinating journey through the history of housing policies in the United States. The Public Housing Influenced by a 1970s Experiment episode scrutinizes how the policies destined to benefit the community in the past went awry due to political and economic forces beyond the housing agencies' control. The show provides detailed insights into New Communities' underlying concept, implementation, and lessons today's society should take from it. By offering this informative experience, the show prominently displays how public housing policies' future must be straightforward, sustainable, and beneficial for everyone.