A New Housing Program to Fight Poverty has an Unexpected History


The long-term results of the Gautreaux program, which was intended to reduce poverty, show upward mobility for children of families that were involved in the initiative. The experiment in desegregating neighborhoods led to the relocation of families from public housing projects to suburban neighborhoods which have vital resources like quality education, proximity to jobs, and public safety. Reducing the concentration of poverty from inner cities led to fewer social problems, with the exception of racism faced by the new Black residents in predominantly white neighborhoods.

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