Reports Look at Public Housing Desegregation Cases

HUD recently released two new studies, Baseline Assessment of Public Housing Desegregation Cases: Cross-Site Report (Volume 1) and Baseline Assessment of Public Housing Desegregation Cases: Case Studies (Volume 2). The purpose of the baseline assessments is to produce a framework for analyzing the impact of using desegregation settlements to address problems of segregation and concentration in public and assisted housing. The research focused on desegregation settlements in eight sites: Allegheny County (PA), Buffalo (NY), Dallas (TX), East Texas, Minneapolis (MN), New Haven (CT), New York (NY), and Omaha (NE).

The studies serve as baselines for planned long-term assessment efforts and have three major objectives. The first objective is to document baseline (presettlement) conditions, the early desegregation program designs, implementation challenges, and any adjustment in desegregation mandates or policies since the consent decrees took effect. The second major objective is to assess early implementation progress and the impact of the consent decrees on the plaintiff class and then to draw implementation lessons. The final objective of the studies is to advise HUD on the best methods for conducting a long-term impact evaluation in these eight sites, including identifying requisite historical and future data and procedures for data collection and tracking.

The Cross-Site Report (Volume 1) is divided into eight chapters:

• Introduction and overview.

• Research design and methodology.

• Baseline measure of segregation.

• Elements of the consent decrees and progress to date.

• Resident perception.

• Cross-site facilitators and inhibitors.

• Long-term evaluation recommendations.

• Lessons and future challenges.

Case Studies (Volume 2) details each site, including:

• A historical overview of presettlement conditions, current economic conditions, and racial makeup of the metropolitan area.

• A history of the desegregation litigation.

• An overview of the elements of the desegregation settlement.

• A thorough review of implementation progress to date, including factors that have facilitated and inhibited implementation.

• A summary of the results of focus group discussions conducted with residents at each site.

Baseline Assessment of Public Housing Desegregation Cases: Cross-Site Report (Volume 1) and Baseline Assessment of Public Housing Desegregation Cases: Case Studies (Volume 2) are available for $5 each from HUD USER. Use the order form.