ABSTRACT

The public housing program in the United States has had a long history as a liberal solution to social problems related to inequality. By the 1960s, however, public housing had to a large extent become minority housing, at least in the largest cities. For many, public housing provided a permanent home or as near permanent a home as they would know, given the exigencies of their life, so it turned out to have no rehabilitative effect on the problems associated with low income. In private slum housing janitors and landlords constantly complain of how hard lower class tenants are on housing. At the national level the role of political elites has been perhaps even more significant in its effect on the housing and neighborhood options available to the lower class. Federal housing aid to low and moderate income families typically passes through several intermediaries before it reaches the consumer.