Public Housing in Urban Communities

Abstract In this paper I will be discussing the many aspects of the public housing authorizes. Working for the Jersey City Housing Authority, I see first hand the many problems that are going on and also living in public housing I have seen the many ups and downs as well. For example, the budget cuts that are going on throughout the United States are causing more public housing to loose funding and are causing them to down size in staff and housing as well. Many of the public housing sites in the United States are privatizing because they don’t have the funding and staff to manage these sites that are considered to be severely distressed.

What is public housing? According to the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): Public housing was established to provide decent and safe housing for eligible low-income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. Public housing comes in all size and types, from scattered single family houses to high rise apartments for elderly families. There are approximately 1.2 million households living in public housing unites, managed by some 3,300 HAs.
However, over the past few years public housing has changed. For example, there are less funding for public housing and now a lot of the public housing sites all over the United States are being privatized. In 1980, many changes started to occur in the public housing authorities. PHA financing and program authority are more flexible, while federal funding has shrunk. These policy changes have led to the loss of tens of thousands of units of affordable housing, increasing private provision of affordable housing, broader income targets for the clients of assisted housing and a focus on the deconcentration of housing for the poor (Kleit, Page, 34).
Growing up and living in public housing I have seen the many changes in public housing that are for the good and bad of the families living in projects. For example, when I lived in A. Harry Moore, which is also known as Duncan Project it was a very live place filled with many different families from all around the world; there were many different programs for the children that lived there, but now many of the Jersey City Housing Authority public housing sites are cutting their after school program at the end of this school year. In 1993 HOPE VI began with a goal to redevelop the 6% of public housing units that were in severe distress. HOPE VI program was developed as a result of recommendations by National Commission on Severely Distressed Public Housing, which was charged with proposing a National Action Plan to eradicate severely distressed public housing. The commission recommended revitalization in three general areas: physical improvements, management improvements, and social and community services to address resident needs (HUD).
Families in these public housing sites that were considered severely distressed were given the opportunity to move to another public housing site that was not considered severely distress or to move out on Section 8. My mom, my sister and I moved out of public housing on our own and when it came time for the revitalization of Duncan Projects we were considered first preference to move back into the new redevelopment and privatization of Duncan Project, which is now called Gloria Robinson Homes. However, there is a long process that goes with trying to move back into these new redevelopment of old public housing because they are privatized and there are different rules that go alone with being considered eligible for these new apartments. For example the