Gun-Related Violence: The Costs to Public Housing Communities

Crime rates are falling across the Nation. The Nation is experiencing the lowest incidence of crime in the past 25 years. Despite declining crime rates, communities across the country still face the threat of gun violence. Suburban neighborhoods, central cities, and relatively remote rural areas have all been victimized. A new report released by HUD reveals that public housing communities are no exception. Gun-related crimes disproportionately impact low- and moderate-income families residing in public housing. These residents are more than twice as likely to suffer from firearm-related crimes than other U.S. residents.

The publication In the Crossfire: The Impact of Gun Violence on Public Housing Communities provides the first comprehensive analysis of gun-related violence in public housing, focusing on the challenges public housing communities face in reducing crime. Based on newly released data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics and HUD's Public Housing Drug Elimination Program (PHDEP) Semiannual Performance Reporting System, the report examines the scope and magnitude of gun-related violence in and around public housing, the financial costs to public housing authorities, and the social costs to residents.

Crime rates are falling in public housing. Analysis of crime-trend data for 55 public housing authorities receiving PHDEP funds reveal that the crime rate declined for two-thirds of the authorities (37 of 55) between 1994 and 1997. Despite this trend, gun-related crime remains a serious threat to the 2.6 million residents of public housing. In 1998 there were an estimated 360 gun-related homicides in 66 of the Nation's 100 largest public housing authorities. Gun violence is not just confined to the largest public housing units; more than 550 housing authorities reported 296 gun-related homicides in the first 6 months of 1999.

The report highlights the costs to the community, public housing authorities, and residents. Beyond crime and violence, firearms are a significant source of physical and financial damage in U.S. communities. Nationally there were 18,500 unintentional injuries, 1,400 unintentional deaths, and 17,566 suicides caused by firearms in 1997. An estimated 200 unintentional gun-related injuries occur in public housing communities each year. HUD estimates that public housing authorities have spent more than $4 billion on crime reduction and prevention efforts since 1990, thereby diverting limited Federal, State, and local budgets away from much needed affordable housing and public housing modernization projects. Public housing residents are bearing the greatest costs. In a survey of large public housing authorities, one in five residents reported feeling unsafe in their neighborhood. The residents' sense of security is too often being shattered by gun violence.

In response to these findings, HUD has put forth a plan to fight gun violence that would expand crime reduction and prevention resources available to local communities. The plan includes:

• Increasing formula grants to support local anticrime strategies, including community policing, coordinated tenant patrols, and crime prevention programs for at-risk youth.

• Establishing a Community Gun Safety and Violence Reduction Initiative, which addresses the problem of gun violence through improved local crime analysis, crime mapping, education, and outreach.

• Incorporating architectural design features into public housing that promote safety and security.

In the Crossfire: The Impact of Gun Violence on Public Housing Communities is available free from HUD USER. Use the order form.