The day Bowen Homes began coming down

Bowen Homes – with 101 buildings, 650 units and more than 900 residents – was built in 1964 at the peak of the nation’s commitment to public housing. It was the 12th housing project among the more than 40 built in Atlanta. But the visionary public policies of the New Deal gave way to misguided policies that transformed housing projects from centers of hope to virtual prisons of concentrated poverty. So, just as Atlanta was the first city to build public housing, so too will it be the first city to eradicate its large housing projects. As with all former residents of Atlanta Housing Authority projects, Bowen’s former tenants will move to homes of their choice, paying no more in rent than they did at the projects and with long-term assistance from AHA. June 3 not only was the day demolition began at Bowen Homes, it was also marked the beginning of the end of the last of the housing projects in Atlanta. Here are a few photographs from the commemoration event.