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It wasn't long before the houses became a nexus of poverty, drug abuse, gun violence and gang activity. Although other projects like the Robert Taylor Homes and Harold Ickes Homes had notorious reputations, Cabrini Green gained attention in 1981 when former Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne and her husband temporarily took up residence in one of the buildings. The gesture backfired, however, as the mayor remained backed by a number of police officers and a substantial personal bodyguard detail, staying in the apartment for only three weeks. The incident is thought to have contributed to her defeat in the 1983 mayoral election by Harold Washington.

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