Altgeld is located in the Riverdale community, near the City’s southern boundary. The property is loosely bounded by 130th street to the north, the Calumet River and Indiana state border to the south, Beaubien Forest Preserve and the Dan Ryan (Bishop Ford) Expressway to the east and the suburban Village of Riverdale to the west.

Resident Leadership

Public housing residents are represented by a strong leadership headed by the development’s Local Advisory Council (LAC). This council is synonymous with a tenant association and is headed by an LAC president who is part of the Central Advisory Council, the governing body of the LAC.

Altgeld-Murray Homes LAC President	Bernadette Williams
Mailing Address	976 E. 133rd Street Chicago, IL 60827
Phone	(312) 745-1949 or (312) 745-1951

History

Altgeld Gardens, the CHA’s most structurally comprehensive and self-contained development, was built in 1945 with 1,498 units. Murray Homes was built in 1954 with a total of 500 units. The 1,998-unit development, consisting primarily of two-story row houses spread over 157 acres, grew out of the need for post-World War II housing for African-American military personnel. It was originally owned by the federal government but was granted to CHA in 1956. Located in an industrial area on Chicago’s far South side, Altgeld was named after John Peter Altgeld an Illinois governor in the 1890s. As one of the first public housing developments ever built in the United States, it is considered a historic landmark property.

Existing Conditions

There are 3,400 residents currently living in the Altgeld / Murray complex. This complex includes its own schools, maintenance staff, on-site social services and medical facilities.

Plan for Transformation: Rehabilitation

This complex is undergoing a comprehensive renovation under the Plan for Transformation, which began in January 2005 and is scheduled to be completed by 2009. Rehabilitation has been completed on 101 units, which are now occupied by Altgeld residents. This unit count includes homes that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act in accessibility and adaptability. An additional 262 units are scheduled to be completed and ready for occupancy by December 2006.

Contact Property Management Office or Service Connector for Altgeld-Murray Homes