The development was named for Raymond Marcellus Hilliard, who was the director of the Cook County Department of Welfare from 1954 until his death in 1966.

[2] Design began in 1963, with the increasing demand for affordable public housing and urban renewal projects growing in popularity throughout the country.

[3] Residents were vetted carefully and as a result, crime and social problems at Hilliard Homes were considerably lower than at other CHA housing projects.

In 1997, the CHA initiated a process of financing and redevelopment that spanned 9 years, ending in 2006.

[5] The property is currently mixed-income, with a combination of middle-class residents paying market rate, plus low-income families and senior citizens with Section 8 vouchers.