This tape tells the story of the James W. Johnson Homes, Philadelphia's first public housing development constructed under the Housing Authority, as seen through the eyes of its 50-year residents and public leaders. The video provides a view of the early days of public housing and the tenant rights movement that arose after the initiative's glory days quickly passed due to bureaucratic neglect.

Johnson Homes defied the negative stereotypes of public housing through its strong leadership, family atmosphere, partnership with management, and the high standards set by its residents. Spaces of the Heart is a story of people demanding and defending their strong sense of place and home when faced with a government that would prefer to forget the Homes exist.