The Walls Come Tumbling Down

Once known as the city where the failure of the Pruitt-Igoe housing development reflected poorly on all public housing in this country, St. Louis now is known as the place where the bold new concept of tenant management of public housing first took root. Following a nine-month rent strike in 1969, residents of public housing took over the operation of their units through Tenant Management Corporation (TMC's) in 1973, a process that was being tried in other cities throughout the country. Illustrates how TMC's work to develop annual budgets, lease apartments, compute annual rents, check on delinquencies, oversee maintenance and custodial services, provide security, and set up educational, recreational, and social activities. Points out that staff members live in the developments in which they work and therefore have a direct stake in the effects of their activities.