First Affordable Housing Project in Phoenix Named in Honor of Black Explorer - Black History Month

​In the 1930s, Father Emmett McLoughlin saw a need for affordable housing in Phoenix so he helped create the Phoenix Housing Authority. Built in 1940 and named in honor of Matthew Henson, a black explorer said to be the first person to set foot on the North Pole, the first project was the Matthew Henson public housing project. Renovated in 2001, the project features senior living apartments, townhomes, apartments, a youth center, a community center, pool, and playgrounds.​