Can Mixed‐Income Housing Ameliorate Concentrated Poverty? The Significance of a Geographically Informed Sense of Community

Abstract

AbstractSince the 1990s, public policymakers have renewed support for mixed‐income housing development in low‐income neighborhoods as a means toward neighborhood revitalization and poverty amelioration. Research to date finds that, while mixed‐income developments in lower‐income neighborhoods have promoted area revitalization, they have accomplished less for people in these areas who live in poverty. This article focuses on mixed‐income projects that seek to de‐concentrate poverty in impoverished, urban neighborhoods. It finds that, because these efforts are largely market‐based approaches, they have paid less direct attention to the needs of lower‐income residents. While this shortcoming may be attributed to structural barriers that prevent developers, housing authorities, and service providers from implementing effective practices, resource limitations can be offset by strong community‐based participation. Drawing on this conclusion, it is suggested that community empowerment strategies should be implemented in tandem with mixed‐income approaches in order to achieve positive outcomes for lower‐income residents, but that reliance on place‐based community will unlikely create the necessary conditions to improve the wealth and everyday quality of life issues that poor people face in a predominantly market‐based economy.