For families struggling with poverty, stable housing can be the foundation for economic independence, educational opportunity and a better future.
Elected officials, researchers, housing authority leaders and nonprofit executives from 14 states and Washington, D.C., convened Oct. 29 at The Gathering Spot in Atlanta for “A Conversation on Housing, Poverty, and Family Outcomes.” Presented by The Integral Group and Coretto Associates, the discussion examined the history of public housing, its successes and shortcomings and how lessons from the past could shape policies that better serve families.
The history of federally supported public housing began just miles from the event, in northwest Atlanta.
“Atlanta is a good place to start because this is where federally supported public housing started when Franklin Roosevelt himself switched on the electricity at Techwood Homes in 1935,” said Howard Husock, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and author of “The Projects: A New History of Public Housing.”
Husock described public housing as “a program with original sins,” pointing to its history of racial segregation. Techwood Homes initially housed only white residents, while University Homes served Black residents.
He argued that government-led demolition of Black neighborhoods for public housing, highways and urban renewal contributed to the persistent Black-white wealth gap by destroying homes, businesses and opportunities to accumulate wealth.
Husock also questioned whether housing assistance encourages financial independence. Citing his research, he said 73 percent of housing voucher recipients remain in subsidized units for at least 10 years, arguing that rent increases tied to earnings can discourage economic advancement.
Renee Lewis Glover, former president and CEO of Atlanta Housing, emphasized that housing programs should be judged by whether families increase their income, savings, assets and independence rather than by administrative measures.
She criticized policies that penalize residents financially as their earnings increase, arguing that housing assistance should help families build toward independence rather than make progress more difficult.
Egbert Perry, chairman of The Integral Group, said transforming neighborhoods requires more than replacing deteriorating buildings.
“Good intentions are not enough,” Perry said.
He explained that mixed-income redevelopment and public-private partnerships can strengthen communities by attracting investment, businesses and services while maintaining affordable housing.
Perry emphasized that schools, transportation, employment opportunities and neighborhood safety are essential to sustaining those investments over time.
Hope Boldon of The Ascent Project illustrated housing’s far-reaching effects through an approach known as family support coordination. The program paired families undergoing redevelopment with coordinators who developed individualized plans and connected residents with employment training, child care, transportation and educational resources.
Boldon explained that a 9-year-old child could be 17 by the time redevelopment was completed, making continued family support essential.
She also highlighted declining reported child abuse rates between 2004 and 2008. In Fulton County, rates fell from 24.2 to 7.3 cases per 1,000 children, compared with a statewide decline from 22.5 to 10.3.
Boldon suggested that housing stability and coordinated services could reduce pressures on caregivers, improving children’s well-being.
“A woman who’s frustrated and has to go to work and has nobody looking after her children doesn’t have the most calm demeanor when she’s dealing with her children,” Boldon said.
She described connecting working parents with neighbors who helped children get to school safely. Across 18 Atlanta communities, the initiative also achieved a reported 97 percent family engagement rate and more than 10,000 service referrals, demonstrating benefits beyond physical redevelopment.
Natosha Reid Rice, former vice president at Habitat for Humanity International, moderated the concluding discussion, urging participants to translate decades of housing experience into practical solutions.
“We need that in order to push us to solutions,” Rice said, referring to challenging established approaches.
Throughout the evening, speakers returned to a central question: What does successful housing policy actually accomplish?
As the discussion made clear, the true measure extends beyond the number of homes built or renovated. It lies in whether the families living inside them have greater stability, opportunity and a path toward independence.
