Is mixed‐income development an antidote to urban poverty?

Abstract

I critically assess the potential for mixed‐income development as a means of helping lift families in U.S. inner cities out of poverty. I identify four main propositions for the promise of mixed‐income development, provide a conceptual framework that delineates the pathways through which mixed‐income development can be hypothesized to improve the quality of life for the urban poor, and review the evidence from existing research on the relevance of these propositions. Because of the scale and possible elimination of the HOPE VI (Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere) program, I pay particular attention to what we have learned from it.

The most compelling propositions are those that do not rely on social interaction to promote a higher quality of life for low‐income residents and instead predict benefits through greater informal social control and higher‐quality goods and services. I consider the limitations of this strategy and policy implications for future mixed‐income development.

Keywords:

• Community development and revitalization
• Low‐income housing
• Poverty