Pioneer Homes, in Syracuse, New York

Syracuse, New York

Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...

. was one of the earliest government public housing

Public housing

Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...

projects in the US. Completed in 1941, it was well planned and substantially built, and remains fully occupied (in 2007) although another nearby public housing project was subsequently built and demolished. Pioneer Homes consists of 607 apartments, which include both row houses and 3-story walk-ups, all constructed of masonry with brick exteriors in an early modern style. Pioneer Homes is bordered by East Adams Street, Renwick Avenue, Taylor Street, and South Townsend Street.

In 2005 the city council voted to gate off 4 out of 5 entrances to reduce traffic and crime. Largely attributed to the 12 drive by shootings in the community.