NCJ Number
149018
Date Published
1991
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Testimony by the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Resident Initiatives of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) describes HUD's strategy for drug- free public housing.
Abstract
The strategy emphasizes the effective use of management techniques to regain control of drug-ridden buildings, such as those demonstrated in the Chicago Housing Authority's Clean Sweep model. Under Clean Sweep nearly 200 police and security officers, building inspectors, and construction workers move through the building and "sweep" it of gangs and drugs. Through this program, building maintenance problems have been solved, vacant units have been prepared for occupancy, single entrance has been created, property and personal crime have been reduced, and community services have been restored for residents. Other components of the strategy include enforcement strategies, such as the use of police ministations on site and the implementation of successful community policing techniques, and prevention efforts as incorporated in youth leadership and resident- organized programs. HUD's antidrug effort is part of a larger effort to improve inner-city communities. Under the President's Homeownership and Opportunity for People Everywhere (HOPE) Program, $351 million in fiscal year 1992 technical assistance and grants will be offered to public housing residents to provide expanded opportunities for resident management, economic development, and homeownership. Other elements of the strategy include technical assistance and training in community drug prevention and elimination, a Drug Information and Strategy Clearinghouse, eviction/legal tools, and agreements of cooperation between public housing authorities and local law enforcement and other municipal agencies.