The National Low Income Housing Coalition has released a report - Affordable Housing Dilemma: The Preservation vs. Mobility Debate. This report examines whether public policy resources would be best suited to preserve existing public and assisted housing which also happens to correlate to mostly low-income minority neighborhoods or to help residents of this housing move to other neighborhoods with higher incomes and less segregation.  In addition to a  literature review, the report includes results from interviews with ten people who have had different experiences with the preservation vs. mobility debate.

The major finding from the report is that people value choice and that the goal of public policy should be to provide diverse services to serve the different housing choices that people will make, whether it be to stay where they are or to move to a different neighborhood.  To that end, the report came up with a few major findings:

• More affordable housing is necessary to provide the most choice so that individuals with restricted incomes have more housing choice.
• Better schools in all areas regardless of income level are integral to transforming low income neighborhoods and giving children equal opportunity in life.
• Policy should not be based on an assumption that it is problematic for too many poor people or too many minorities to live in the same area.

For the full report, click here.