housing project

American  

[hou-zing proj-ekt, proj-ikt] / ˈhaʊ zɪŋ ˌprɒdʒ ɛkt, ˌprɒdʒ ɪkt /

noun

1. a publicly built and operated housing development, usually intended for low- or moderate-income tenants, senior citizens, etc.

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housing project British  

noun

1. a housing development built and maintained by a local authority, usually intended for people with a low or moderate income

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Etymology

Origin of housing project

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Westhoughton-born actress Maxine Peake was among the campaigners against it, describing it as a "housing project in golf clothing".

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

The Governor’s Office also said they had no idea what low-income housing project Trump was referring to on Thursday.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2026

“Unlike every other homeless or affordable housing project in my district, this one had no objection. It went straight through. There was absolutely no controversy,” Bonin said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 23, 2026

The family lived in a Brooklyn housing project at a time when such accommodations were safe, comfortable and a marker of the American black middle class.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025

When the yellow-gray buildings on the lakefront were demolished, shortly after Venkatesh’s first visit, the gang relocated to another housing project even deeper in Chicago’s south side.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt