RAND Researcher Lizhong Liu Discusses Public Housing Redevelopment and Neighborhood Impact
Lizhong Liu, an Associate Policy Researcher at the RAND Corporation, recently discussed the impact of public housing redevelopment on surrounding neighborhoods. Drawing on national research and examples such as Chicago’s Robert Taylor Homes and Los Angeles’ Jordan Downs, Liu highlighted measurable neighborhood gains alongside the high costs, displacement, and difficult tradeoffs associated with redevelopment. Her research indicates that programs like HOPE VI, which redevelop physical structures of public housing, have been effective in improving neighborhoods where public housing is located. This includes significant increases in residents' income and housing values, as well as a decline in crime rates in areas immediately adjacent to the redeveloped housing. However, Liu also noted that the establishment of new retail plazas in redeveloped areas, such as at Jordan Downs, can sometimes attract new criminal activities like smash-and-grab incidents.
