“Everyone called me grandma”: Public housing demolition and relocation among older adults in Atlanta

Over the last few decades public and political dissatisfaction with public housing projects and an increasing emphasis on poverty deconcentration has led to the demolition of public housing in cities across the country. A significant body of literature has examined experiences of relocation from public housing and their implications for the well-being of individuals and communities. While much of this literature has focused on young or middle-aged adults and children, older adults have also been affected by demolition and relocation. The displacement of older adults raises a new set of age and life-course specific concerns for the well-being of this population. In this paper, we analyze the relocation narratives of 25 former public housing residents in Atlanta, Georgia. Our analysis focuses on the loss of geographically rooted communities of kinship, support and belonging that many participants, particularly those who have aged in place, attribute to their former developments. Participants describe many material and psychosocial benefits associated with living in communities that were “like families” and where they often held important roles as respected elders. While some were satisfied with their moves, others describe the dispersal of these “families” as a deeply felt loss. While some were able to draw on support from children and grandchildren in their new homes, others describe experiences of profound isolation after relocation.

► We use in-depth interviews to examine experiences of public housing demolition among older adults.
► For some participants, the dissolution of social networks is experienced as a deeply felt loss.
► Some participants experience challenges to rebuilding social ties in their new environments.