"Our Kids Count Too": The Failure of the Chicago Housing Authority and the Chicago Public Schools to Jointly Address the Needs of Children Relocated during the Plan for Transformation

The project examines the extent to which the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) and the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) coordinated with one another in order to support children whose families were relocated during the Plan for Transformation and provides recommendations for how urban school departments and housing authorities can work together to improve the experiences of children and families affected by public housing policy. Although the CHA made an effort to help families transition smoothly, such as hiring relocation counselors, there were few supports put in place to help children stay in the same school following relocation. The turnover in schools and instability that kids faced following the implementation of the Plan for Transformation negatively impacted their school experiences both academically and socially. The project combines information gathered through interviews and analysis of primary and secondary sources to highlight the experiences of children and families who were relocated from the CHA's Robert Taylor Homes high-rise development. The research shows that there was little collaboration between the CHA and CPS, which meant that as children changed schools, they experienced disrupted academic and social experiences. Had the CHA and CPS coordinated more effectively to support relocated children and families, they would have been able to provide more stable school experiences to children in public housing, increasing the likelihood of positive academic and life outcomes.