Place-based policies are crucial if we want to improve the lives of Chicago citizens in a long-term way. People-based policies, such as job training and housing vouchers, can help individual people, but they do nothing to improve entire communities by themselves and can actually leave a community worse off than it was before. In order to truly transform communities in Chicago that are facing disinvestment and substandard living conditions, we must use a combination of people-based and place-based policies. However, there needs to be more of an emphasis on place-based policies. On their own, people-based policies cannot have a long-term effect on living conditions in Chicago. Housing vouchers may improve the lives of the people who get them, …show more content…
According to the U.S. Department of Education (2012), “Communities that face underperforming schools, rundown housing, neighborhood violence, and poor health know that these are interconnected challenges and that they perpetuate each other” (p. 5). It is not enough to only target education, jobs, or mobility programs. These alone do not attack the root cause of substandard living, as this quote indicates. Instead, the city must implement place-based policies with a “cradle-to-career continuum of services” (U.S. Department of Education, 2012, p. 5). An example of this kind of policy is the Harlem Children’s Zone, a program based in Central Harlem that offers a holistic approach to community development. This program focuses not only on improving education, but also on “social services, family support, health, and community-building programs” (Harlem Children’s Zone) all the way from early childhood through college graduation. The HCZ, which addresses issues both in and outside of the classroom, can serve as a model for programs in the most struggling Chicago …show more content…
The Urban Institute (2005) found that “CDC investments in affordable housing and commercial retail facilities have led to increases in property values…that are sometimes as great as 69 percent higher than they would have been in the absence of the investment” (p. 1). More affordable housing in low-income communities would allow poor residents to continue living there, while also having access to suitable and safe housing. This ties into the idea of choice, which is discussed
“Gentrification is a general term for the arrival of wealthier people in an existing urban district, a related increase in rents and property values, and changes in the district's character and culture.” (Grant) In layman’s terms, gentrification is when white people move to a black neighborhood for the sake of cheaper living, and in turn, raise up property values and force black neighbors to leave because of a higher price of living. Commonly, the government supports gentrification with the demolition of public housing in areas that are developing with more white neighbors. This is causing a decreasing amount of African Americans to be able to afford to live in the neighborhood as their homes are taken away from them, forcing them to relocate. Whilst gentrification normally has negative connotations, there are several people who believe gentrification brings about “an upward trend in property values in previously neglected neighborhoods.” (Jerzyk) On the other hand, this new trend in property value and business causes those...
Chicago’s Cabrini-Green public housing project is notorious in the United States for being the most impoverished and crime-ridden public housing development ever established. Originally established as inexpensive housing in the 1940’s, it soon became a vast complex of unsightly concrete low and high-rise apartment structures. Originally touted as a giant step forward in the development of public housing, it quickly changed from a racially and economically diverse housing complex to a predominantly black, extremely poor ghetto. As it was left to rot, so to speak, Cabrini-Green harbored drug dealers, gangs and prostitution. It continued its downward spiral of despair until the mid 1990’s when the Federal Government assumed control the Chicago Housing Authority, the organization responsible for this abomination. Cabrini-Green has slowly been recovering from its dismal state of affairs recently, with developers building mixed-income and subsidized housing. The Chicago Housing Authority has also been demolishing the monolithic concrete high-rise slums, replacing them with public housing aimed at not repeating the mistakes of the past. Fortunately, a new era of public housing has dawned from the mistakes that were made, and the lessons that were learned from the things that went on for half a century in Cabrini-Green.
Furthermore, both articles “Gentrification: A Positive Good For Communities” and. “The Deeper Problems We Miss When We Attack ‘Gentrification’” exhibit their opinion on the positives of gentrification and the potential of “revitalization” in low-income urban communities. Badger argues that gentrification brings nothing more than further opportunities for urban communities while integrating citizens of different social classes. Furthermore, she continues to question if gentrification is in fact the monster that brings the prior expressions against gentrification where she says “If poor neighborhoods have historically suffered from dire disinvestment, how can the remedy to that evil — outside money finally flowing in — be the problem, too?”(Badger) Stating that the funds generated from sources external that are brought into these communities can’t be problematic.
Chicago in the 1920s was a turning point for the development of ethnic neighborhoods. After the opening of the first rail connection from New York to Chicago in the 1840s, immigration sky rocketed from that point on. Majority of the immigrants to Chicago were Europeans. The Irish, Italians, eastern European Jews, Germans, and Mexicans were among the most common ethnicities to reside in Chicago. These groups made up the greater part of Chicago. The sudden increase in immigration to Chicago in the 1920s soon led to an even further distinguished separation of ethnicities in neighborhoods. The overall development of these neighborhoods deeply impacted how Chicago is sectioned off nowadays. Without these ethnicities immigrating to Chicago almost 100 years ago, Chicago neighborhoods would not be as culturally defined and shaped as they are today.
Downs has sought to dispel myths surrounding housing policy. The first myth he debunks is the myth that all government-sponsored urban policies have failed. Downs believes that although they had resulted in greater hardships for poorer neighborhoods, the policies have given great benefits to a majority of urban American families. While he does not consider these policies to be a complete success, he refuses to call them failures due to the fact that they did indeed improve the standard of living for most of urban America. Downs also calls to our attention the effect of housing policies on the number of housing units. Starting in 1950, housing policies were aimed at ending the housing shortage until focus was shifted to low income households in the midst of the Vietnam War. To Downs, ending the shortage was important because it was affecting the American way of life. Couples were delaying marriage, extended families were living in one home, and overcrowded housing led to overcrowded local facilities, such as schools. Downs also argues that this overcrowding led to an inescapable cycle of “substandard”
Housing segregation is as the taken for granted to any feature of urban life in the United States (Squires, Friedman, & Siadat, 2001). It is the application of denying minority groups, especially African Americans, equal access to housing through misinterpretation, which denies people of color finance services and opportunities to afford decent housing. Caucasians usually live in areas that are mostly white communities. However, African Americans are most likely lives in areas that are racially combines with African Americans and Hispanics. A miscommunication of property owners not giving African American groups gives an accurate description of available housing for a decent area. This book focuses on various concepts that relates to housing segregation and minority groups living apart for the majority group.
the cost of living in Toronto has come to a record high, we need to start doing something about it now before no one can afford to live at all. There are more than 30,000 women, men and children in the city's homeless shelters annually. Many of thousands more sleep on the streets or considered the “hidden homeless”. About 70,000 households are on Toronto’s social housing waiting list and on the brink of becoming homeless because of the skyrocketing prices of owning a home in Toronto. The Federal Government and the province have begun a slow reinvestment in housing in past years, the number of affordable housing being built now doesn’t even compare near the levels of the early 1980’s. Habitat for Humanity has been building houses for low income
Lance Freeman tackles the issue of gentrification from the perspectives of residents in the gentrified neighborhood. He criticizes the literature for overlooking the experiences of the victims of gentrification. The author argues that people’s conceptions on the issue are somewhat misinformed in that most people consider it as completely deplorable, whereas in reality, it benefits the community by promoting businesses, different types of stores, and cleaner streets. These benefits are even acknowledged by many residents in the gentrified neighborhood. However, the author admits that gentrification indeed does harm. Although gentrification does not equate to displacement per se, it serves to benefit primarily homeowners and harm the poor. Additionally,
Gentrification is the keystone for the progression of the basic standards of living in urban environments. A prerequisite for the advancement of urban areas is an improvement of housing, dining, and general social services. One of the most revered and illustrious examples of gentrification in an urban setting is New York City. New York City’s gentrification projects are seen as a model for gentrification for not only America, but also the rest of the world. Gentrification in an urban setting is much more complex and has deeper ramifications than seen at face value. With changes in housing, modifications to the quality of life in the surrounding area must be considered as well. Constant lifestyle changes in a community can push out life-time
Sidney, Mara S. 2003. Unfair Housing: How National Policy Shapes Community Action. Lawrence: Univ. Press of Kansas.
In many ways, this housing shortage has been a consequence of strict housing policies enacted in the 1960s that limited the heights of new buildings and allowed neighbours to block developments. Because of this, in recent history the Bay Area has only issued building permits for about 50% of the buildings for the growing population. This combination of high demand and low supply for local housing has allowed housing costs to skyrocket, to the point where the area is no longer affordable for many residents (Russel). This has created a large population of residents who experience homelessness and housing insecurity. Of the 7,500 residents of San Francisco that are currently unhoused, 71 percent were housed in the city before becoming homeless (Connery et al, see Figure 1). Further, 49 percent of residents experiencing homelessness who once had a permanent residence in the city had maintained it for at least ten years. This indicates that San Francisco residents cannot continuously afford to live in the housing currently available in the
Too many promising and deserving youths are being thrown into homes in high crime areas, and being expected to receive a quality education, sometimes while only being supported by one parent. This trend needs to stop, and it’s not going to fix itself. As Americans, if we have the ability to take actions, we have the responsibility to take actions. It is our job to end this spiraling problem and give the youths of America the proper upbringing that gives them the potential to do great things when they grow up to be prosperous
Whether good or bad, neighborhoods have lasting adverse effects on multiple areas of a child and adolescent’s development. Beyond individual and immediate family factors, the effects of neighborhoods in children are present academically, psychologically, developmentally, and socially. Neighborhoods that are disadvantaged, with high poverty or other negative factors, have higher rates of school dropout, delinquent and conduct behaviors, and social relationship difficulties among adolescents than well-off neighborhoods. If I had a $10 million grant to design and implement an intervention program for disadvantaged neighborhoods, I would like to reduce the delinquent and antisocial behaviors in children and adolescents by creating a mentorship
It involves deprivation across a number of different dimensions – physiological (lack of bodily comfort or warmth), emotional (lack of love or joy), territorial (lack of privacy), ontological (lack of rootedness in the world, anomie) and spiritual (lack of hope, lack of purpose),” (Somerville 384). Finally, the last solution would be to increase government funding for homelessness. The government spends millions of dollars on “treatment first” programs, when that money can be used for the Housing First program (Sanburn 20). According to “The Radically Simple Solution,” from TIME, “Over the past eight years, the total number of chronically homeless people in the U.S. has fallen 30%, from 120,000 in 2007 to 83,000 in 2015— largely because of the success of housing-first programs” (Sanburn 20). It can be expensive, but how is it not worth it? Increasing the amount that can be spent on these programs can be beneficial to communities, the government, and just the people in general. Giving these people a chance at something they do not have can affect them in so many
Research clearly attests to the positive effect housing choice vouchers can have on academic achievement. In each of the case studies, implementation of the vouchers resulted in at least some improvement on children’s education and long-term career success, as compared to their previous situations. However, it is important not to overstate the significance of the vouchers’ success. Results of the MTO study demonstrate that a high number of Section 8 voucher holders only moved to slightly more affluent neighborhoods and well-performing schools. Further, additional variables originating in a child’s home, such as academic disadvantages caused by a lack of resources or parental involvement, will continue to thwart the ability of vouchers to cause