Designing hope: Rationales of mixed-income housing policy

Rationales used to legitimize forced dispersal and mixed-income housing policies are socially constructed based on assumptions about concentrated poverty. This study evaluates qualitative data on public housing residents who were in the process of being dispersed as part of a HOPE VI program in order to examine their thoughts about their original home and neighborhood. Residents' thoughts about their neighborhood are compared to policy rationales. Results indicate that current policy rationales are mostly in line with the goals and motivation of the city but are largely incongruent with the perceptions residents have of their pre-relocation home and neighborhood. The article concludes with policy recommendations for increasing and incorporating residents' views into policy design.