NCJ Number
149435
Date Published
Unknown
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This report describes the nature and extent of crime in public housing and efforts to address it.
Abstract
Public housing originally sheltered middle-class families displaced by the Great Depression. However, in recent decades, the tenants have become poorer and predominantly minority, reduced revenues have resulted in deferred maintenance and other problems, and crime has increased. Crime data specific to public housing are unavailable. However, tenants are more diverse than commonly believed, and crime is not endemic in public housing communities. Nevertheless, some of the most troubled housing complexes are high-rise, family-occupied buildings concentrated in large cities, with tenants whose socioeconomic characteristics are linked to poverty. These buildings contain 7 percent of all public housing units. The three factors that contribute to high crime rates in some public housing are vulnerable tenants, environmental conditions, and management and organizational structure. Three trends that are developing to address crime problems in public housing are closer partnerships among police, public housing staff, and residents; a more active role by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to help public housing authorities deal with crime and drug problems in their communities; and a focus on residents, including enforcement efforts against residents who break laws and efforts to empower law-abiding residents. Further research on the scope and nature of the problem is also needed, because the current data gap limits the ability of researchers and managers to develop effective responses. Discussion questions and 7 references