I see part of the solution in this in the manner in which cities are scattering their welfare populations to other areas; they have no money left to provide the services (public education, emergency services, infrastructure maintenance) so they just send the clients with outstretched palms elsewhere. Here in NJ they want any new constructions (mainly multi-family buildings at this point) to include set-asides for the gibsmedats (funded be federal Setion 8 dollars); thankfully there isn’t much unbuilt land in my area (northeastern NJ).
The welfare population needs to be dispersed. Large concentrations of long-term welfare clients become toxic. Assisted housing needs to be scattered site and small in scale, preferably located near job centers. The problem is that no one wants any of this to happen in their own neighborhoods. I understand this, but it is worse to warehouse the poor in massive concentrations where their kids destroy the local schools, crime and drugs destroy the surrounding neighborhoods, and the culture of poverty becomes the norm. The cities -- the smarter ones, at least -- are now trying to undo LBJ's welfare housing legacy.
If it were up to me, I'd shut down the projects entirely. Just close them one by one as they age out; don't rehab them. Give the low-income poor a voucher and tell them to find an apartment on their own. At the same time, attack exclusionary zoning and occupancy rules that prevent people from renting out spare rooms and basements, or prevent families from doubling or tripling up in single family homes. Even on your cul de sac. In other words, restore a free market in housing.
Would the poor flock to green leafy suburbs and scare suburban soccer moms and commuters? That depends on whether there are enough entry level jobs in a given suburban neighborhood to lure them. And if the jobs are there, the poor should be able to live reasonably close. The next time you visit a big suburban mall or office park, ask yourself if the sales clerks, clerical employees and maintenance staff can afford to live close enough to get there without a car. There's part of your answer.
>>Here in NJ they want any new constructions (mainly multi-family buildings at this point) to include set-asides for the gibsmedats (
The term you need to watch out for is “affordable housing”. As in “Does your proposed development include affordable housing.”
This is really subsidized low-income housing done on the sly, with the subsidy hidden in the price of the regular units of the new development, instead of transparently coming directly from tax money.