A first-of-its-kind study examining the movements of public housing residents into other city neighborhoods shows crime may follow them wherever they go if they relocate in large numbers.

 

After reviewing crime statistics in Chicago from 2000 to 2008, researchers at the Washington-based Urban Institute discovered violent crime was 21% higher in neighborhoods that had high concentrations (14 relocated families per 1,000 families) of former housing project residents who had been given vouchers to move on after leaving high-rise public housing projects. These same individuals had an impact on increases in property crimes as well, according to the study. This increase in crime took place at the same time that violent crime for the entire city of Chicago dropped 26%.

 

A similar pattern was found in Atlanta. However, in both cities no significant increase in crime was found in neighborhoods that absorbed smaller numbers of public housing relocatees, leading to obvious future policy implications.

-Noel Brinkerhoff, David Wallechinsky

 

Neighborhoods of CHA Relocations Experienced Higher Crime Rates (by Frank Main, Chicago Sun-Times)

Study Estimates Public Housing Transformation's Effect on Crime in Atlanta and Chicago, Advancing Understanding of Successes and Challenges (abstract) (Urban Institute)