“Everyone Had Your Back”: Social Ties, Perceived Safety, and Public Housing Relocation

Abstract

Tens of thousands of families have been relocated from public housing in the last decade through the HOPE VI redevelopment initiative. Analyzing in–depth interviews with 41 families who were relocated from a severely distressed public housing development, I explore how neighborhood–based social capital is drawn upon for safety by examining how people kept safe in public housing, and what happens when these social ties are taken away through forced relocation. I find that their relatively new status in these neighborhoods translates into less socializing and weaker local ties. Moreover, since they counted on social ties for protection previously, this lack of integration leaves a substantial portion feeling more vulnerable.