Linking Public Housing Revitalization to Neighborhood School Improvement

Prepared for: The Annie E. Casey Foundation

Martin D. Abravanel Robin E. Smith Elizabeth C. Cove

The Urban Institute Washington, DC

June 2006

The views expressed in this monograph are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Urban Institute, its trustees, or its funders.

For more information about the Urban Institute, visit http://www.urban.org.

Acknowledgments

We are indebted to the late Art Naperstek—who was excited about the potential for better integrating community building, public housing revitalization and school improvement, and wanted to learn more.

We also appreciate the support and advice offered by Tom Kingsley and Margery Turner of the Urban Institute at various points in this research, the research assistance provided by Aidan Ali-Sullivan, and the assistance of those with whom we met in Atlanta, Milwaukee, Tacoma, Tucson, and Washington, D.C. Finally, we are grateful to Cindy Guy and her colleagues at the Annie E. Casey Foundation for their interest in and support of this exploratory study of the linkage between public housing revitalization and neighborhood school improvement.

The cover photograph in the upper left corner is of Atlanta’s Centennial Place, from www.atlantahousing.org/portfolio/index.cfm?Fuseaction=signature; the photograph to the right is of Atlanta’s Centennial Place Elementary School, from www.flickr.com/photos/karsh/122096573/.

The inside page photographs, from top left to right, are: Milwaukee’s Parklawn, from www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/manuf_res/Parklawn.pdf; Milwaukee’s Central City Cyberschool, from www.midwestgreatlakes.cefpi.org/2006conference/Parklawn.pdf; Tacoma’s Salishan, from www.lorig.com/d_salishan.htm; Tacoma’s Lister School, from www.tacoma.k12.wa.us/schools/es/lister/; Tucson’s Posadas Sentinel, from www.housingresearch.org/hrf/HRF_News.nsf/982edc9f376438cd852569d0000 d00b7/b5aba346398ee53385256a16007aac98?OpenDocument; and Tucson’s Drachman School, from edweb.tusd.k12.az.us/drachman/Drachman%20Info/ School%20Photos.htm.

Table of Contents

Introduction…………………………………………………………………….….…1

Obstacles and Disincentives to Collaboration……………………………………..…1

Recent Encouragements to Collaboration…………………………………….….…..3

Currently Prevailing Notions of Public Housing-School Collaboration………..……4

Methodology for Exploring Public Housing-Schools Linkages……………………..7

Different Approaches to Linking Public Housing Redevelopment to School Improvement………………………………………………………………………....11

1. Preconditions………………………………………………………………...11

2. Collaboration……...…………………………………………………………15

3. Implementation………………………………………………………………21

4. Accomplishment and follow-on……………………………………………..30

Summary and Implications…………………………………………………………..40

References..…………………………………………………………………………..44

Introduction are at the flat bottom of the state. Even in the Appalachian areas, these schools are terrible So strong is the conviction of performers and we have a very some policymakers and practitioners that high rate of truancy. So people are effective public housing revitalization not being provided an opportunity to pursue the American dream.2 requires concomitant school improvement that in 2005 Senator Likewise, Richard Barron of the St. Barbara Mikulski introduced legislation Louis-based private development firm requiring all recipients of federal HOPE McCormack Barron Salazar emphasizes VI funds to establish, “a comprehensive that when families consider housing education reform and achievement options, their first consideration is strategy for transforming neighborhood affordability and their second is schools that serve . . . revitalized HOPE schools.3 He and his firm, accordingly, 1 VI sites into high-performing schools.” expend considerable effort finding ways Expecting such strategies to be to improve the schools that serve the developed through partnerships between revitalized public housing and other public housing agencies and local school mixed-income developments in which systems, Senator Mikulski is not alone in they are invested. believing this type of collaboration to be fundamental. Renée Glover, the

Executive Director of the Atlanta Obstacles and Disincentives Housing Authority, testified before to Collaboration Congress that linkage between Public

Housing Authorities (PHAs) and schools Linking school improvement is essential to promoting opportunity for efforts to public housing and associated public housing residents. neighborhood revitalization projects

In all of the public housing seems so logical that, on first communities, there is a captive consideration, it may not be entirely elementary school. Those schools evident why the two would ever be unconnected. On reflection, however, it 1 Senate Bill S. 1513, To Reauthorize the HOPE VI Program for Revitalization of Severely 2 Distressed Public Housing, July 27, 2005. “Strengthening and Rejuvenating Our Nation’s Communities: The HOPE VI Program,” Hearing HOPE VI provides competitive federal grants to local agencies to support the transformation of before the Subcommittee on Housing and severely distressed public housing, encouraging Community Opportunity of the Committee on Financial Services, U.S. House of the agencies to seek new partnerships with private entities to create mixed-finance and Representatives, April 29, 2003. mixed-income affordable housing (Section 24 of 3 Phillipa Strum (ed.), Dealing with Race: The the U.S. Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437v). Quest for Regional Cooperation, 2005, p. 35.

1

is clear there have been and are many “(s)uccessful collaborative alliances obstacles standing in the way of depend on a host of factors, many of collaboration between local housing which the partners cannot directly agencies and school systems. Proscio control,” including institutional (2004) describes an “unnatural disincentives, historical and ideological separation” between the community barriers, power disparities among development and school arenas that stakeholders, technical complexity, and dates back to the early 1960s. political and institutional norms. Likewise, Eisenberg (1995) points to The gulf between the two fields only differences in professional training and widened with the mounting alarm background, fear of loss of autonomy, over physical disintegration in the inner cities throughout the 1960s and and the inefficiency of cross- ’70s. The specter of dilapidated professional dialogue as having hindered neighborhoods and derelict buildings interorganizational cooperation, helping drew more and more federal attention to explain why school-community toward construction and renovation, housing assistance and financing, and partnerships have tended to fail over the urban infrastructure. Educators, long run. meanwhile, were focusing ever more narrowly on what happened inside With respect to the linkage of schools, classrooms and school systems, with little reference to other school improvement efforts to public work underway in the streets beyond. housing revitalization, there is both the To achieve social equity, courts problem that many school systems have increasingly mandated busing of children away from their not welcomed collaboration with others neighborhoods, further deepening the (Moore, 2001) as well as the fact that divorce between where children lived public housing authorities have often and where they learned. It was as if the future of neighborhoods had been isolated within, and disconnected somehow become all but unrelated to from, the communities in which they the future of the children living in operate. Despite the occasional them. programmatic demonstrations or special

Indeed, informed observers of initiatives that compelled local housing school-community connections see agencies to connect with other numerous, significant barriers to community entities, PHAs have collaborative efforts between school generally been “other-directed”—taking systems and community-based their guidance and cues from the federal organizations. Despite the potential for Department of Housing and Urban synergistic benefits that could emerge Development (HUD), not the local from such interorganizational community. Although PHAs own and partnerships, Gray (1995) notes that manage their own developments, public housing policies and operations are

2

governed by federal rules, which are • A growing realization that there are often divorced from market forces and socially adverse and politically unacceptable consequences to local considerations. In the past, PHAs perpetuating neighborhoods with high have generally had little or no incentive concentrations of poverty and social to relate to, or collaborate with, other pathology; local entities—either public or private, • An increased recognition that there are which is why political and community shrinking resources with which to deal with such conditions (Eisenberg 1995); stakeholders often see public housing as and “federal property” governed by federal • A greater appreciation of the possibility rules, not a community asset or resource for achieving enhanced solutions to these responsive to local interests. problems through collaborative ventures—solutions that are otherwise infeasible for any single organization or The consequence has been that sector to solve through independent collaboration between school systems action (Gray 1995). and public housing agencies, even where both serve the same clientele and To a large extent, the federal geography and could benefit from each HOPE VI program, which supports the other’s resources and expertise, has been revitalization of severely distressed more the exception than the rule. public housing as part of a strategy toward broader neighborhood redevelopment, has encouraged public

housing agencies to begin to Recent Encouragements to communicate, cooperate, and partner Collaboration with others—including school Compared to the earlier history systems—to carry out their renewal of unnatural separation between objectives. As such, new public-private community based organizations and as well as public-public partnerships school systems, Jehl et al. (2001), Chang have emerged since the mid-1990s for (2002), Proscio (2004), Turnham and financing, developing or managing Khadduri (2004), and Varady et al. revitalized public housing projects as (2005) have observed signs of a fusion well as for providing various kinds of of sorts over the last decade among resident services and supports. The schools, community based organizations latter have included relocation services, and housing agencies as partnerships social and human services, and have increased in frequency. Forces educational and recreational services. promoting improved collaboration Likewise, the HOPE VI program include: has, in many cases, funded the

replacement of highly concentrated,

3

dilapidated, low-income developments Finally, there are instances in with less dense, mixed-income which efforts to communicate and forge communities—through the construction partnerships between public housing of market-rate rental or homeownership agencies and school systems, as well as units on site (Schubert and Thresher between advocates for school 1996; Myerson 2001; Urban Land improvement and on behalf of public Institute 2002, 2003; and Smith 2002). housing communities, have brought new And, having quality schools that serve allies “to the table” on both sides—a such areas is judged by many to be both table often in need of broader support to a necessary marketing tool for attracting promote the respective interests. middle-income renters or homebuyers as well as essential to improving the opportunities of children of low-income Currently Prevailing Notions of families residing in such developments. Public Housing-School Collaboration Good schools, in sum, enhance and complement the benefits following from Over the last several years there the redesign and physical reconstruction has been a good deal of both informal as of housing units. well as organized conversation taking place focusing on the need and Communication and cooperation possibilities for increased collaboration between PHAs and school systems has between the housing and school sectors. also been motivated by practical and For example, political needs. For one thing, coordination of HOPE VI redevelopment • In 2001, the Millennial Housing Commission heard testimony about the with school systems has often been need for improving schools in mixed- necessary to enable school officials to income developments (Cousins 2001). project and accommodate school contraction or expansion (temporary or • In 2005, the Ford Foundation hosted a research roundtable on “Schools and otherwise) that result from large-scale Communities” to discuss the activities demolition and reconstruction of public underway across the nation that link housing properties. Also, some housing school improvement to community revitalization. agencies and school systems have begun to recognize that resources (such as • In 2005, a HOPE VI roundtable community centers and facilities) and organized by HUD, the Urban Institute, and the University of California at expertise (such as real estate finance and Berkeley’s Center for Cities & Schools development planning) can be shared included several small group sessions on across the public housing and schools linking HOPE VI and schools. arenas to the benefit of both.

4

• At various times during 2005, advocates have become shorthand for what is encouraging reauthorization of the meant by the linkage between public HOPE VI program held strategy sessions to discuss not only the value of housing and schools. that program but also how it can better be coordinated with school reform The most often referenced efforts. examples of public housing revitalization that have stimulated and, • And, most recently, in 2006, the National Housing Institute convened a in turn, benefited from, neighborhood practitioners forum titled “Building the school improvement are the former CDC/School District Partnership for Techwood and Clark Howell Homes, Community Development” to discuss options, models, impediments and now Centennial Place in Atlanta, and the strategies for increasing collaboration former George L. Vaughn Family between housing providers and school Apartment high rises, now the districts. Residences at Murphy Park in St. Louis. Among the points raised about linkages Centennial Place was Atlanta’s first between public housing and schools in HOPE VI development; Murphy Park these various forums have been the was not redeveloped under HOPE VI but following: under a special HUD demonstration enabled by Congress prior to HOPE VI. • The phenomenon is growing and Both redevelopments are notable for the becoming more commonplace; fact that they involved an explicit • There are many different approaches connection to the improvement of local being tried; and public elementary schools that served • The process is at an early stage. their neighborhoods.

Observers of the emergent These examples of how public linkage seem to agree that, at this time, housing revitalization and school there are too few outcomes to evaluate improvement can occur in tandem and and, therefore, it is premature to identify for mutual benefit are referenced so model efforts or best practices (Turnham frequently in the literature and policy and Khadduri, 2004; Varady, 2005). conversations that they have become a Although the research literature affirms prototype for how such linkages that no single approach has applied originate, are implemented, and what across the board, the current policy they produce. The simplified conversations that encourage characterization is as follows: coordination of public housing revitalization and school improvement 1. Preconditions. A severely distressed efforts tend to be dominated by several public housing development served by a failing, low-performing neighborhood prominent examples. These, de facto, public school and located in a

5

dysfunctional, disinvested, low-income This is a compelling scenario. neighborhood is slated for How well it depicts conditions and redevelopment, using HOPE VI funds. behavior in various locales, however, is 2. Collaboration. As a result of the unclear, and is the basic curiosity foresight, initiative and perseverance of motivating this exploratory study. The one or a few prominent persons associated with the housing extent of resemblance to the above revitalization effort and/or the schools characterization is of interest because of sector and, sometimes, motivated by the policy, advocacy, and research special circumstances and/or implications that follow. preexisting interpersonal relationships, a new partnership is established that recognizes the interdependence and To structure a set of statutory or value of explicitly linking and regulatory requirements implementing coordinating housing redevelopment and school improvement; the PHA partnerships with school systems, partnership develops holistic strategies as anticipated by Senator Mikulski’s for cooperation, coordination, and proposal, requires that the action. implementation entity understand 3. Implementation. The partnership variations in preconditions, collaboration brings new resources and energy to etiology, and implementation options— both public housing and education forces, beyond what would have been in real world circumstances. Absent possible were each to have acted that, whatever rules are promulgated independently, resulting in converting could be off base or misguided. developments from very-low-income to mixed-income occupancy, improving Similarly, philanthropic organizations the failing schools’ physical facilities, interested in investing in, or advocating changing school personnel (including for, closer ties and more strategic the principal), making educational and connections between housing agencies curricular improvements and, in some cases, adding new community facilities and school systems need the same for use by public housing residents, understanding to avoid ineffective students, and the community-at-large. initiatives. Finally, there is a need to

4. Accomplishment and follow-on. As know what more needs to be known— public housing redevelopment is what gaps exist in knowledge—to figure accomplished, the improvements result out how to fill them. If the gaps are not in better outcomes for residents and students, as tracked and formally filled, future public policies or private evaluated; and the partnership is investments are likely to be grounded in sustained beyond its original purpose— “seat-of-the-pants,” rather than research- such that the concept and experiences are extended to additional based, understanding. neighborhoods, developments, and schools within the community.

6

recommended HOPE VI projects Methodology for Exploring Public believed them to be examples of linkage Housing-Schools Linkages to neighborhood school improvement.

As of mid-2005, there was no Some HOPE VI developments definitive list of efforts to link public included in Exhibit 1 have experienced, housing redevelopment to school or will experience, little change in the improvement. Studying this economic mix of their residents between phenomenon, therefore, initially required the pre- and post-revitalization periods. learning where it had been tried or was Others, however, have changed, or will currently underway. change, their mix considerably as PHAs actively recruit some proportion of To assemble such a list, the households with higher incomes than literature was reviewed and public- and before. Indeed, the extent to which private-sector observers were contacted. income mixing in redeveloped HOPE VI The latter consisted of persons who, by projects varies may account for reputation, were knowledgeable about variations in PHA interest in promoting HOPE VI revitalization projects across school improvement, or variations in the country or, specifically, about strategies for linking public housing attempts to combine neighborhood revitalization and school improvement revitalization and school improvement. efforts. Included were staff from HUD’s Office of Public Housing Investments, which Of the developments included in oversees the HOPE VI program. They, Exhibit 1, Atlanta’s Centennial Place in turn, contacted HUD field and Capital Homes, and properties in representatives to ask for additional King County, Tacoma and Tucson leads on HOPE VI initiatives that were involve the most extensive income believed to have included a school- mixing—defined here as developments improvement component. in which one-half or more of the redeveloped units will not be subsidized Although no claim can be made under HUD’s Annual Contributions that this process identified all instances Contract (ACC). Atlanta’s Carver and in which HOPE VI revitalization efforts properties in Baltimore, Richmond and had been, or currently are, linked to Washington, DC, involve somewhat less school improvement, the list that extensive income mixing, while resulted includes a variety of types of Milwaukee’s Parklawn involves the least communities and situations—as shown amount of income mixing of the group. in Exhibit 1. All of those who

7 Exhibit 1: HOPE VI Developments Identified by Observers as Involving School Improvement Efforts

City HOPE VI Redevelopment and School Improvement Activities Reconstitution of the Fowler Elementary School into Centennial Place School in conjunction with the redevelopment of Techwood and Clark Howell Homes into Centennial Place; redevelopment of Drew Elementary School into Charles R. Drew Charter School, the first charter school in Atlanta, in conjunction with the Atlanta, GA redevelopment of East Lake Meadows into The Villages of East Lake; rehabilitation

of an elementary school adjacent to the Villages at Carver; and improvement of a magnet elementary school across from Capital Homes in conjunction with its redevelopment into Capitol Gateway. The PHA is also negotiating for rehabilitation of a school adjacent to McDaniel Glenn. Demolition of Lexington Terrace Middle School and replacement with a K-8 Math, Baltimore MD Science & Technology Magnet School in conjunction with the redevelopment of Lexington Terrace as The Towns at the Terrace. Demolition of a school and development of a new magnet school in conjunction Chicago, IL with the redevelopment of Cabrini Green. Reconstitution of Porter Elementary, Hays Elementary and Washburn Elementary into a neighborhood elementary school and a city-wide magnet school, as well as Cincinnati, OH restructuring of Taft High School in conjunction with the redevelopment of Laurel Homes and Lincoln Court into City West. Decatur, IL Building of a charter school across from Longview Place. When White Center Heights Elementary School was slated for closure, the PHA worked with the school system and included a new community school as part of a King County, WA Village Green in conjunction with the redevelopment of Park Lake Homes into Greenbridge. Collaboration between local housing and school administrators in the redevelopment of Cotter and Lang Homes Park into Park Duvalle, involving Carter Traditional Louisville, KY Elementary and Kennedy Montessori schools; the school system, however, is not structured into neighborhood schools due to a desegregation order. PHA construction of a Family Investment Center for use by a new charter Central Milwaukee, WI City Cyberschool in conjunction with the redevelopment of Parklawn. Development of a new school planned as part of a "Community Campus" at New Portland, OR Columbia. Richmond, VA Construction of a new elementary school adjacent to the Blackwell development. Reconstruction of the Lister School that serves Salishan, now in the process of Tacoma, WA redevelopment. Relocation and construction of the Drachman Elementary School that serves the Tucson, AZ former Connie Chambers development, now Posadas Sentinel. Development of a new school in conjunction with redevelopment of the Washington Utica, NY Courts Complex into the New Steuben Village Apartments and Town Homes Complex throughout the Cornhill neighborhood. PHA involvement with respect to (a) the future of Turner Elementary School in conjunction with the redevelopment of Frederick Douglas and Stanton Dwellings Washington, DC into Henson Ridge and (b) an effort to dedicate Payments of Lieu of Taxes from the redevelopment of Eastgate to the schools that currently serve the area—Fletcher- Johnson, Shadd, C.W. Harris and Nalle.

During mid-2005, when the development process to know much information contained in Exhibit 1 was about the connection between HOPE VI collected, it was too early in the and school improvement efforts in some

8

of the instances. Also, those who had been attempted through HOPE VI identified these cases of HOPE VI- revitalization, the type of school school improvement linkages were not involved (public or charter), and the always aware of, or could not number of completed instances in which characterize, the environment for or housing redevelopment had been linked constraints on school reform efforts in to school improvement efforts—the the various communities. What tended latter ranging from none to more than to be known, however, was whether the one. Using these criteria, the following respective school systems were region or five communities were selected and county wide and, therefore, if schools studied. served exclusively the residents of specific public housing developments. • Atlanta, GA. The Atlanta Housing Authority (AHA) has been at the Chicago, Cincinnati, and Louisville are forefront of the effort to encourage examples of systems whose schools are greater linkage between public housing generally not neighborhood based. redevelopment and neighborhood school improvement, and offers Most of the schools involved in insights honed by multiple experiences in doing so.4 Its initial effort involved HOPE VI-school linkages serve Techwood/Clark Howell Homes, a elementary students, although property whose construction had Milwaukee’s Central City Cyberschool originally begun in 1935 and is considered by some to have been the and Atlanta’s Charles R. Drew School first federally sponsored public housing serve students through grade eight. project in the nation. An immediate Also, most are public schools rather than neighbor of the Georgia Institute of Technology, its “in-town” location is charter—with the latter located in adjacent to the downtown business Milwaukee, Atlanta’s Villages of East district. Atlanta’s second effort, East Lake and Decatur. Lake Meadows, was located five miles east of downtown Atlanta in a From among the communities moderate-income neighborhood of primarily single-family detached identified in Exhibit 1, five were chosen dwellings adjacent to the East Lake for further study. In seeking to discover Golf Club. Formed in part to preserve basic similarities and differences across the historic core of the facilities that were once Bobby Jones’ home course, places, the selection process emphasized the golf club was begun in the 1960s achieving diversity—including with when members of the original Atlanta respect to geographic location. One community each was selected from the 4 Atlanta has received HOPE VI grants for Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, planning, demolition and/or revitalization for seven of its properties, totaling over $200 Southeast, and mid-Atlantic regions. million. See Housing Research Foundation, Beyond geography, there was an attempt http://www.housingresearch.org/hrf/hrfhome.nsf/ to vary the extent of income mixing that vApprovedHomePagesNew/Hope+VI+About+H ope+VI+Home!OpenDocument.

9

Athletic Club purchased the property in City Council voted to convert 900 of its the face of neighborhood decline and units to low-income housing and the Athletic Club’s decision to vacate. demolish the rest.6 Over time, Salishan became home to waves of immigrants. • Milwaukee, WI. The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee • Tucson, AZ. Tucson allows for (HACM) provides an example of the examination of how a HOPE VI simultaneous construction of a new redevelopment is connected to a school school on the site of its Parklawn improvement effort that began before property, which was redeveloped under receipt of a HOPE VI grant.7 Involved the HOPE VI program beginning in is Barrio Santa Rosa, an historic 1998.5 Originally constructed in 1936- Tucson neighborhood adjacent to the 1937, Parklawn was the first of the downtown. It was the location of nation’s public housing developments Tucson’s first public housing project, to be constructed on open land rather La Reforma, which was built in 1942. than on property acquired for the In the early 1960s, 200 additional purpose of slum clearance. It was public housing units were developed originally designed to provide an across the street from La Reforma—the efficient delivery of services and to Connie Chambers development. To maximize the natural setting that its overcome community objections to location afforded along Lincoln Creek. their construction, the City promised to clear 200 “slum units” in the area, • Tacoma, WA. Tacoma offers an which was also targeted under the opportunity to examine a large public City’s urban renewal program, to make housing property that, unlike most way for a convention center that now others undergoing HOPE VI borders the neighborhood. Continuing redevelopment, will actually increase deterioration at La Reforma resulted in in size when completed, and where the its demolition in 1983, and the Connie neighborhood school has had to adapt Chambers development became the to rapidly fluctuating enrollments as a focus of HOPE VI revitalization efforts result. This involves the Salishan beginning in 1996; demolition occurred development, for which the Tacoma in 1999. Housing Authority (THA) received a HOPE VI grant in 2000. Built in 1943 • Washington, DC. The District of as temporary housing for shipyard Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) workers during World War II, it offers an opportunity to examine yet a originally included over 2,000 units. different history of HOPE VI-school Following the end of the War, federal linkages. DCHA has undertaken, or is legislation extended the life of such currently involved in, six HOPE VI projects so veterans and military revitalization projects and, since 1999, personnel in the lowest grades, who did has pursued a policy of coordinating all not receive housing or allowances, could live there. By1950, 6,700 people 6 See “History Link Essay: Salishan Housing lived in Salishan and, the next year, the Project – Tacoma Housing Authority,” www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id= 5512. 5 Milwaukee has received HOPE VI grants for planning, demolition and/or revitalization for 7 Tucson has received HOPE VI grants for four of its properties and additional grants for planning, demolition and/or revitalization for scattered site properties, totaling over $133 three of its properties, totaling over $37million. million. Ibid. See Housing Research Foundation, op cit.

10

of its HOPE VI activities with school decade makes clear that efforts to link 8 improvement objectives. Indeed, in public housing revitalization to school 2005, DCHA hired a senior liaison to work full-time with the DC public improvement differ considerably from school system. As of this point, place to place and, also, do not however, there has been no case in necessarily correspond to the prototype which a neighborhood school has been improved as a result of HOPE VI outlined above. Each community either activities but, instead, the building of a focused on, or accomplished, both public basic, long-term relationship between housing revitalization and school the agency and the school system that improvement, but with histories and in is intended to link the future activities of both. ways that varied considerably. As will be discussed in the concluding section of Collectively, these five examples this report, this observation has provide fundamental, on-the-ground implications for legislative or other understanding of the diverse ways in interests that seek to formalize the which communities approach the linkage connection between public housing of public housing revitalization and revitalization and schools. school improvement. To gather such information, site visits were made to In the remainder of this section each of the five locations to confer with community variations are portrayed with housing agency and school officials and respect to others about local activities. These visits 1. Preconditions were supplemented with the collection 2. Collaboration of information, such as local newspaper 3. Implementation, and articles and other relevant documents, 4. Accomplishment and follow-on. from each community.

1. Preconditions. As outlined Different Approaches to Linking above, the prototypical linkage between Public Housing Redevelopment to public housing revitalization and school School Improvement improvement starts with a severely distressed public housing development Looking at what has transpired in scheduled for redevelopment under the the five communities over the past auspices of the HOPE VI program. The characterization is that the development 8 In total, the District of Columbia has received is located in a dysfunctional, disinvested, HOPE VI grants for planning, demolition or revitalization for nine of its properties of over low-income neighborhood and is served $160 million. See Housing Research by a failing, low-performing Foundation, op. cit, and http://www. neighborhood public school. That dchousing.org/hope6/index.html.

11

description is best exemplified by prior to the initiation of the federal Atlanta’s first two experiences HOPE VI program, the AHA had connecting school improvement to received funds from HUD to revitalize housing redevelopment, but is less its dilapidated 650-unit East Lake accurate in the other communities in one Meadows development.11 The property way or another. was less than 28 percent occupied when the redevelopment began (Urban Land Atlanta. In 1994, two years Institute, 2002). Because of its high before Atlanta was scheduled to host the level of crime, gang warfare, drugs and 1996 summer Olympics, the AHA was violence, it was often referred to as one of the first agencies in the nation to “Little Vietnam.” Most of East Lake receive a HOPE VI grant to completely Meadows’ residents (91 percent) lived in demolish and redevelop its aged poverty—with 59 percent receiving Techwood/Clark Howell property. The welfare, only 13 percent considered crime rate in the neighborhood employed, and only 5 percent of families surrounding the property, which was having married spouses.12 The adjacent to the planned Olympic Park, development was served by the Drew was 69 percent above the City’s Elementary Public School, which ranked 9 average. The vast majority (91 percent) 44 of 71 schools in the City’s system. of the development’s residents lived in poverty—with 49 percent receiving Milwaukee. In 1998, the HACM welfare, only 18 percent considered received a grant to: demolish about one- employed, and only 5 percent of the quarter of the housing units of its families having married spouses.10 The Parklawn property, all single-occupancy neighborhood was served by the Fowler housing that was in disrepair; revitalize Elementary School, which ranked near the remainder of the property—focused the bottom (60 out of 71) of the City’s especially on malfunctioning utilities public schools. systems and external appearance, without the need for gut rehabilitation or A few years before the AHA resident relocation; and construct a small initiated plans to redevelop the number of single-family homes on the Techwood/Clark Howell property and parcel where units were demolished.

9 T.D. Boston, The Effects of Revitalization on 11 Funds came from HUD’s Major Pubic Housing Residents: A Case Study of the Reconstruction of Obsolete Projects (MROP) Atlanta Housing Authority, Journal of the program, which, prior to 1994, provided grants American Planning Association, Vol. 71, No. 4., to PHAs to finance the capital cost of Autumn 2005, 393-407. rehabilitating old public housing. 10 Most (96 percent) of the residents were 12 Ibid. Virtually all (99.5 percent) of the African American. residents were African American.

12

The infrastructure was especially area surrounding Parklawn was not in need of upgrading since it was unable served by any particular elementary to meet contemporary residential school prior to redevelopment. standards. The electrical system, for Elementary aged students were bussed to example, was badly outdated—designed over 30 public schools throughout the to power a stove, refrigerator, and a few community at the parents’ discretion—a smaller appliances; its sewer pipes, result of an earlier desegregation order.14 arranged to maximize the number of None of those schools were in the buildings on a main line, were failing; immediate neighborhood. and its central heating and domestic water distribution system was plagued Tacoma. Prior to HOPE VI by leaks and corrosion. revitalization, residents of Tacoma’s Salishan development tended to have Prior to the receipt of a HOPE VI very low incomes and limited grant, intergenerational dependence on educational achievement: 278 occupants public housing had been a serious of the 855 units scheduled to be replaced problem in Parklawn. Average annual received TANF assistance, and 883 did wage-related income in 1998 was not have high school diplomas or GEDs. $10,527 for the 36 percent of working- Also, the development had been plagued age heads of households reporting some by a legacy of crime, which peaked in wage-related income. Almost 31 percent 1991 with extensive drug trafficking and of households were at least partially drive-by gang shootings. dependent on TANF or General Assistance. The Lister Elementary School is located on the edge of the Salishan Unlike many large, urban public development, and 99 percent of housing developments designed for elementary school-aged children in the family occupancy, the Milwaukee development attended Lister at the point property is located in a residential-like the HOPE VI redevelopment was neighborhood of generally well-kept, initiated. About 84 percent of Lister detached, single-family houses, which students received free or reduced price are not neglected or rundown. And, lunches, 9 percent required special while crime was a problem at Parklawn education, and 40 percent were prior to HOPE VI redevelopment, it was considered transitional bilingual. not considered severe.13 Finally, the

arson. During 1999, 8 persons were arrested for 13 There were 79 reports filed for Part 1crimes on drug-related felonies. site in 1997. Part 1 crimes include murder and 14 Laura L. Hunt, An iBook in Every Backpack, negligent manslaughter, sexual assault, robbery, UWM Today, 3:1, Winter 2001, p. 11. aggravated assault, burglary, theft, auto theft and

13

Contrary to the prototypical notion that lived in the barrio for generations.17 In schools serving severely distressed 1994, then Mayor George Miller noted public housing developments are failing, that the population of the area had a however, Lister had a reputation of median income of about $10,000—one- being one of the better schools in the half living below the poverty line and Tacoma system. one-half having a high school diploma.18

Tucson. There had been interest While low-income, Barrio Santa in revitalizing historic Barrio Santa Rosa differed from the other Rosa, the location of the Connie neighborhoods identified above in that it Chambers public housing development, had been the focus of renewal efforts for for over 40 years. In 1961, according to many years prior to HOPE VI the Tucson Weekly, the City’s urban revitalization. It also differed from the renewal plan proposed demolition of Atlanta examples in terms of the school most all of the buildings (more than that served the area. Although the 1,200 in all) in a 416-acre area, and Drachman School was located in a 50- relocating 5,000 people to make way for year old building that was physically new residential, commercial and civic inadequate, it was not otherwise seen as improvements. Then Mayor Don a failing school and had a good Hummel labeled it a neighborhood of reputation within the community. “dirt, disease and delinquency.” 15 The plan was never implemented, although a District of Columbia. The smaller-scale redevelopment project Washington, D.C., experience is involving 80 acres and the relocation of different from the other four 1,200 people was undertaken to make communities in this study in that not a room for the Tucson Convention single HOPE VI development has yet to Center.16 be formally linked to the improvement of a neighborhood school. As will be Beginning in the 1970s, “middle- discussed below, however, the DCHA income Anglo families began trickling has been, and continues to be, in the back into the barrio…attracted by its process of developing a comprehensive unique blend of Mexican-style design, set of relationships to effect school diverse population and proximity to improvements related to HOPE VI downtown,” resulting in conflicts with redevelopment efforts. To this point, the Mexican-American families who had therefore, Washington showcases how such relationships are being developed 15 Dave Devine, “Barrio Viejo, Barrio Nuevo,” Tucson Weekly, May 23, 2002. 17 Ibid. 16 Ibid. 18 Ibid.

14

more so than how the linkage has such as mayors, but can also be other produced results in any specific instance. prominent persons with foresight, initiative and perseverance who are Summary. Of the communities associated with either the housing studied, all of the properties redeveloped revitalization sector, the schools sector, under HOPE VI initially served very or both (Turnham and Khadduri 2004; low-income residents and required major Raffel et al. 2003). The literature redevelopment. However, one of the suggests that collaboration among such properties needed upgrading, not total key persons may be based on preexisting demolition; some were not located in interpersonal relationships or involve dysfunctional, disinvested entirely new relationships forged for this neighborhoods; and some schools, purpose. although in need of physical upgrading, were not seen locally as failing or As will be apparent below, requiring major curricular or personnel however, champions of establishing improvements. In sum, among formal and continuing linkages between communities identified as linking public public housing revitalization and school housing redevelopment to school improvement efforts are more prominent improvement, there is considerable in some communities than others. In the variation with respect to precondition latter, the fact that HOPE VI characteristics and, consequently, redevelopment occurred concomitantly noteworthy deviation from the with school improvement appears to be prototypical construct. based less on formal partnerships than on serendipity. Indeed, the “collaborative”’ experiences across the 2. Collaboration. Some case five communities differ in terms of their studies of HOPE VI revitalization efforts nature and histories, and include emphasize the crucial roles played by situations where the existence of a specific individuals who motivate or formal partnership between public facilitate the process. According to housing and school sectors are difficult Turbov and Piper (2005, p. 43), a “clear to discern. champion shapes the vision and clears the way.” Likewise, reported cases Atlanta. The AHA’s first effort where neighborhood or public housing to link public housing revitalization to revitalization has been linked to school schools came about, in large part, as a improvement frequently spotlight one or result of a robust collaboration among more such champions. These are several key individuals, all of whom sometimes political decision makers, shared a vision as to what could be accomplished if public housing

15

redevelopment and school improvement Both Glover and Johnson wanted were effectively coordinated. One such the revitalized area to be a place where person was Renée Glover who, with a they would want to live, served by a corporate law and finance background, school that would prepare children for became Executive Director of the college and other opportunities to exit troubled AHA in 1994. She was from poverty. Each had an agenda for interested in transforming old distressed improving the neighborhood that was neighborhoods containing public complementary of the other’s. Glover, housing and creating more livable, for example, believed that the Flower healthier environments for residents and School, which was considered the city as a whole. Techwood’s school, had to change for the community to change. Johnson was Another was Dr. Norman already campaigning to revitalize Fowler Johnson who, during the late 1990s, was when the HOPE VI award was made. At an executive assistant to the president of that point, he concluded that without the Georgia Institute of Technology linking the two together, the (Georgia Tech), with responsibility for neighborhood school might be minority student recruitment. As a physically improved but not radically member of the Atlanta Public School overhauled. Board, he recognized that no child from the local elementary school adjacent to According to Johnson, prior to Georgia Tech, Fowler, that also served his meeting with Glover neither was the Techwood/Clark Howell making substantial progress. The two development, had ever attended Georgia met as “kindred spirits,” both wanting to Tech. see those served by the Techwood/Clark Howell development and Fowler School Glover and Johnson, in face better life opportunities. There collaboration with Egbert Perry (a were difficult hurdles to overcome, and socially minded developer and President many at the time considered failure a of the Integral Group) and Richard strong possibility. However, with the Barron of McCormack Barron imperative of transforming the Associates, aimed to change the culture neighborhood before the opening of the of the Techwood/Clark Howell Atlanta Olympics, Glover and Johnson development, not just its buildings. were able to encourage prominent Their vision, which involved renewing members of Atlanta’s political, both public housing and the school, was corporate, and educational considered a very high-risk venture at establishment—important the time. stakeholders—to work with them to

16

overcome those hurdles and bring about private partnership. According to both public housing revitalization and Glover, major school improvement. There was a real alignment of vision and interest for me and Tom Cousins. A second opportunity for A notion that we could bring people collaboration linking school together and create affordable improvement to public housing housing in a fabulous community, and leave behind the last vestiges of revitalization occurred when Tom hopelessness represented by East Cousins, a real estate developer and Lake Meadows.20 philanthropist, proposed the Milwaukee. During the late establishment of Atlanta’s first charter 1990s when the HACM applied for a school to replace the Drew Elementary HOPE VI grant to upgrade its Parklawn public school located adjacent to the development, Milwaukee public schools East Lake Meadows public housing were generally failing. The latter was development, scheduled to be the subject of conversations being held redeveloped by the AHA. In 1993, between Dr. Christine Faltz, a former through the Cousins Family Foundation, high school teacher, then director of pre- he had purchased the East Lake Golf college programs at Marquette Club next to the development to save it University, and Dr. Howard Fuller, a as a historic site and generate revenues former Milwaukee Public Schools for area-wide revitalization efforts.19 Superintendent, then director of the Cousins then created the East Lake Institute for the Transformation of Community Foundation to establish a Learning at Marquette. The two were charter school as part of the especially concerned about the revitalization effort. All proceeds from increasing importance of technology in the operation of the golf club go to the the U.S. economy and how that Foundation. threatened to further the opportunity gap Aware of the AHA’s efforts to improve the Fowler School as part of its 20GeorgiaTrend Online, www.georgiatrend.com/ Techwood/Clark Howell revitalization, site/page7350.html. According to Martin A. Cousins wanted to follow suit at East Davis Jr., Cousins intended to convince the AHA and the East Lake Meadows tenant association Lake Meadows. To make that happen, “that philanthropy and the free market, not he and Renée Glover formed a public- government, were the keys to retrieving this community and offering its low-income residents their best shot at moving themselves out of poverty.” See, “A Civic Hole-in-One,” The Philanthropy Roundtable, September/October 19 The club has hosted the PGA Tour 2004, www.philanthropyroundtable.org/ Championship and the Southern Amateur. See magazines/2004/SeptOct/EastLake.htm. www.eastlakegolfclub.com.

17

between low-income children and reference to the school as part of a others. “Family Investment Center” that would also consist of a YMCA and day care Faltz considered the development services to promote resident self- of a “cyberschool” one means of dealing sufficiency, the application was with this problem, and applied to the city accepted. to charter such a school. This became more feasible when Governor Tommy Faltz also met with officials of Thompson secured passage of an Johnson Controls, Inc., a Milwaukee amendment to state law that allowed firm specializing in facility management charter schools to receive per-pupil and control, to obtain a cost estimate for funding. That, in turn, contributed to key-card access to the proposed school support for the concept from the building. The company, instead, offered Milwaukee business community and to help the school obtain a loan to fund Major John O. Norquist. In addition, installation of the heating, air Fuller’s reputation and personal conditioning, fire, security and lighting association with Ricardo Diaz, then controls in the form of a lease-to-own 21 executive director of the HACM, led to arrangement. The idea was that the discussions with the Authority about loan would be paid off over time using a creating such a school in conjunction portion of the school’s per-pupil funding with one of its developments. Diaz, who and that HACM would build the had a Master’s degree in education and building, which the school would then was interested in the idea, recommended lease without having to pay the its development in conjunction with the Authority until the Johnson Control- Authority’s Parklawn HOPE VI efforts. supported loan was repaid. The fact that HOPE VI funds and the HACM were As a result, HACM’s Parklawn involved lowered the default risk for HOPE VI application included funding Johnson Controls and, between the for an on-site facility to be used for a HOPE VI funds and the Johnson new charter school, among other things. Control-supported loan, “we didn’t Initially, HUD's Office of General spend a dime,” according to Faltz—now Counsel raised an issue regarding the use Executive Director of the new Central of Hope VI funds for constructing an City Cyberschool of Milwaukee.22 elementary school, and asked the Authority to provide additional documentation pertaining to the 21 See www.prnewswire.com/cgi- bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story facility’s use in delivering supportive /12-17-1999/0001099711&EDATE=. services to Parklawn’s residents. When 22 Ibid., p. 11. Some local observers presumed the Authority’s documentation included Johnson Controls might not have invested in the

18

Tacoma. Although the THA’s redevelopment schedule. This allows Salishan development and school the schools to shift teachers and improvement efforts occurred during the students, as needed. same general time frame, the Lister School was rebuilt and reopened in 1998 Tucson. Unlike most before the Authority had received its communities, the city of Tucson’s HOPE VI award. Indeed, the rebuilt Community Services Department also school was noted as a neighborhood serves as the Public Housing Authority, amenity in the Authority’s HOPE VI which makes it more directly responsive application, and the THA was not to city officials than is typical. The involved in the school district’s decision arrangement facilitates coordination of to rehabilitate the building. That various planning and revitalization decision was made because of interests and, in the case of Barrio Santa infrastructure problems associated with Rosa, the city had a vision that went well the building’s age. beyond revitalization of the Connie Chambers public housing development. While the Authority has a Prior to the city’s receipt of its HOPE VI partnership that includes the city’s Parks grant, the School Board had issued and Recreation Department for space bonds for remodeling or rebuilding the sharing for summer and after-school neighborhood Drachman Elementary programs, a nonprofit organization School, even though the exact use of (World Vision) for carrying out the those funds had not been determined at programming, and Washington the time. University to run a computer lab for Salishan residents, the primary function At the beginning, then, school of the relationship between the Authority improvement and public and school involves information sharing. housing/neighborhood revitalization Because of the large-scale demolition of efforts had not been formally housing units, temporary relocation of coordinated. However, according to residents, and rebuilding of the Salishan local observers, a teacher at Drachman development, the Authority’s HOPE VI School, Roslyn Miller, the wife of then- relocation manager, Julie Foss, and Mayor George Miller, encouraged her Lister Principal, Ray Maltos (as well as husband to link the City’s broader the middle-school principal), have revitalization efforts to those of the quarterly meetings to discuss the School Board. Independently, Drachman’s principal, Gloria Barnett, school absent HAMC’s financial commitment to the Family Investment Center, recognizing that the Authority would likely do whatever was necessary to make the school a success.

19

also became very involved in wider especially important for joint HOPE VI- community planning endeavors. Key to school improvement efforts. how Tucson implemented its various efforts involving Barrio Santa Rosa, In conjunction with Larry therefore, were the formal political and Dwyer, DCHA’s HOPE VI director and administrative decision makers involved head of its Office of Planning and in both the city’s (including the PHA’s) Development, Cortiella has been and School Board’s projects, as well as systematically building relationships other stakeholders whose role was to with the school system to ensure encourage broad, cross-sector coordination of future public housing coordination. redevelopment and school improvement efforts. Their relationship-building District of Columbia. As strategy includes: observed by Raffel et al. (2003), the • Establishing credibility by forging DCHA has for some years been strong connections with key staff in the “actively engaging residents and schools School Superintendent’s office, in the planning process to ensure quality including the head of facilities and chief of staff. For example, DCHA helped schools in their neighborhood.” In 2004 DCPS develop their “master transitional DCHA’s executive director, Michael plan” and consider new ways to address Kelly, hired David Cortiella, a former physical problems in their buildings/ schools—taking advantage of DCHA’s administrator of the Boston Housing real estate and management expertise. Authority, to be the liaison between DCPS also contracted with DCHA’s for- DCHA and the D.C. public school profit construction affiliate to conduct a rapid response review of the system’s system (DCPS). This occurred at about school buildings and help address the time that Clifford Janey, also maintenance problems. formerly from Boston and an acquaintance of Cortiella’s, became D.C. • Building a reservoir of good will with the School Board by establishing school superintendent. Prior to that, a personal communications and revolving succession of superintendents cultivating relationships with individual had stymied DCHA’s efforts to engage board members on topics about which the DCHA can credibly provide DCPS on an ongoing basis. Moreover, expertise and assistance. the governance structure of the school board changed from a fully elected board • Providing help to DCPS with respect to to a hybrid elected/appointed board. future facilities planning and funds leveraging options for school physical According to DCHA staff, the new improvement purposes, including structure is less parochial and able to arranging for studies by a real estate look more at the “big picture,” which is development firm and an architectural and planning firm focused on schools associated with HOPE VI developments.

20

• Building relationships with D.C. government officials by facilitating an interagency planning process related to 3. Implementation. In theory, new schools development (as well as partnerships established to undertake other city investments, like parks and HOPE VI redevelopment, including libraries) for HOPE VI neighborhoods. linkage to school improvement, are • Engaging in joint planning efforts meant to bring new resources and energy between DCHA and DCPS, working to both public housing revitalization and toward improvements of schools as well education reform efforts—beyond what as serving HOPE VI developments. would occur should each proceed Summary. The establishment of independently. Desired outputs from formal partnerships by advocates of such collaboration include elimination of generic linkage among school severely distressed developments; improvement, HOPE VI redevelopment, significant upgrading of developments’ and/or neighborhood revitalization is physical configurations and conditions; clearly evident in some communities— conversion from very-low-income to although each collaborative seems to mixed-income occupancy; improvement have had a distinctive evolution and of schools serving the areas, in terms of variable prospects for being sustained physical plant, personnel, and over time. In other cases, however, curriculum; and, in some cases, the formal partnerships established to addition of community facilities for use improve the neighborhoods, housing by public housing residents (including conditions and education of residents of students) and the neighborhood at large. severely distressed public housing are less observable, even in instances where Under the HOPE VI program, HOPE VI redevelopment and some form extensive resources are targeted to a of school improvement occurred within particular development in a particular the same time period. The latter may not neighborhood. The standard lore with necessarily affect the outcomes, but respect to HOPE VI-school recognizing that not all cases of improvement linkages is that concomitant action are the result of a improvement of a specific school, as holistic vision or explicit, planned distinct from system-wide school strategic action is important to reform, is more likely to be motivated by understanding how consistent, or place-specific public housing inconsistent, the process is from instance revitalization, and is an important to instance. component of the revitalization in terms of outcomes that are sought. School improvement is expected to benefit the families residing in renewed

21

developments as well as to enhance a During the HOPE VI PHA’s ability to market its redeveloped development stage, Norman Johnson, as property to a mixed-income clientele. a member of the Atlanta School Board, worked from within that system to rally What, then, transpired at each of for school improvement to occur the HOPE VI sites with respect to simultaneously with the public housing redevelopment and its relationship to transformation. Prior to HOPE VI, the school improvement? Board was committed to revitalizing the Fowler School, although probably only Atlanta. Both Techwood/Clark to upgrading its physical plant. Working Howell Homes and East Lake Meadows with Renée Glover, Johnson arranged for were demolished and totally a land swap between the School Board reconstructed, the former renamed and the AHA in order to take the Centennial Place and the latter, the existing school out of the housing Villages at East Lake. development and rebuild it on a main street bordering the development—next Residents began moving in to to a YMCA that provided after-school Centennial Place in 1997, with the childcare programs. According to local project ultimately completed in 2000. observers, without HOPE VI the land While some community members exchange would not likely have taken objected to the removal of low-income place and, although the school might families in exchange for higher income have been physically improved, it would households or saw the redevelopment as not have been radically overhauled, rushed because of the Olympics, which is what in fact occurred. community leaders generally coalesced on the notion that “something” needed to The name of the school was be done to improve the development and changed to Centennial Place and a new area. That resulted in a reconstructed, principal, Dr. Cynthia Kuhlman, was mixed-income development containing hired. She had been in the Atlanta 900 units—41 percent public housing public school system for many years as eligible, 17 percent low-income eligible an educator and administrator (chief based on Low Income Housing Tax financial officer). All teaching positions Credit criteria, and 42 percent market in the school were opened as new rate rental. The development consists of positions. Previous teachers at Fowler one- and two-bedroom garden style could apply for jobs but only about 20 apartments as well as two- and three- percent were rehired. Since there was no bedroom townhouses, all managed by a major organization actively championing private company. school reform in Atlanta at the time and

22

most teachers did not belong to a zone,” which includes Centennial (about teacher’s union, the changes were 150-plus children) and other areas initiated by the partners themselves rezoned to be part of their district after without organized opposition related to the Fowler School closed. The district teacher employment rights. now includes family housing associated with Georgia Tech as well as a local With support from the district domestic violence shelter. The and state, Kuhlman, Johnson and key remaining slots are filled by application. stakeholders (the AHA, Georgia Tech, Of the four PTA officers, Centennial the Coca Cola Company, the YMCA, parents currently hold two positions, BellSouth and others) met on a regular those of president and treasurer. basis and decided the school would be a “prototype for technology,” taking on a During roughly the same time mathematics, science, and technical period that Centennial Place was being focus. The curriculum was influenced constructed, the Villages at East Lake by the elementary school’s proximity to was also transitioning from a distressed Georgia Tech and its interest in science- public housing development to a mixed- based education. The curriculum was income property.23 Initially delayed combined with CO-NECT, a research- when a tenants’ organization objected to based educational model that stresses the development of a mixed-income community accountability for results, property that would consist of 80 percent learning by doing, and the “sensible use market-rate renters and 20 percent of technology.” In addition, it was public-housing eligible households, the decided to utilize “open classrooms” to development ultimately consists of 542 encourage teamwork and collaboration. units—one-half of which are public This was accomplished without special housing eligible and one-half of which funding, since Centennial receives no are market-rate. additional monies and operates on the same funding formulas as other local East Lake consists of one-, two-, public schools. three-, and four-bedroom garden-style apartments; two-, three-, and four- The Centennial Place Elementary bedroom town homes; and one-, two- School is still perceived to be part of Centennial Place development, and all 23 The AHA demolished East Lake Meadows and children residing in the development are helped to finance the Villages of East Lake, which the East Lake Community Foundation guaranteed a place. Of its 535 current controls. The costs to build the new complex students (the school was originally built were split between the AHA and the Foundation—with the latter maintaining a 60- for 450), Principal Kuhlman estimates year lease and the property and its buildings that about one-half are from “their reverting to the AHA in 2054. See Davis, op. cit.

23

and three-bedroom villa-style units, all The Drew Elementary School managed by a private company. The closed in 2000 and the Charles R. Drew development’s first phase was initially Charter School opened in 2001, occupied in 1998, and the property was occupying a new building, wired for completely occupied by early 2001. Of computers. It extends from kindergarten the original 400 families in East Lake through grade 8. Karen Eldlridge was Meadows, 78 returned to the Villages at selected as founding principal after a East Lake. Some pre-development nationwide search. None of the teachers residents were excluded as a result of from the former Drew Elementary criminal background checks, others self- School were hired for the new school, excluded because of new rules and although some came from the Atlantic requirements or a desire to live public school system. Initially, 40 elsewhere (Khadduri 2003). percent of the students resided in the Villages at East Lake, 20 percent came Having established an after- from the nearby neighborhood, and 40 school program for children in the East percent came from elsewhere in Atlanta Lake neighborhood—the East Lake (Khadduri 2003). Junior Golf Academy24—Tom Cousins, working in partnership with Renée The Edison Schools, Inc., Glover, decided to develop a new school curriculum was adopted, which focuses for the area as well.25 The combination primarily on reading (1.5 hours daily) of disagreement between the East Lake and mathematics (1 hour daily); it also Foundation and the Atlanta School includes (1 hour each, every other day) Board over the extent to which the writing-language arts, science, social school could exercise autonomy over sciences, world language, fine arts, and curriculum and the selection of a physical education. The school day principal, and newly enacted state schedule lasts 1.5 hours longer than the legislation permitting charter schools, typical public school day, and the school led to the creation of Atlanta’s first year extends 15 days more than the charter school. regular public school calendar (Boston 2005). The reading program requires parental involvement and periodic parent-teacher conferences.

24 This youth program was later renamed the First Tee of East Lake. The school also builds on the

25 community asset of a golf course. Funds to demolish the Drew Elementary School and build the charter school were raised Students receive free golf instruction, by Cousins, including from his own foundation. learning about golf through both texts See Davis, op. cit.

24

and physical education classes during The cyberschool, which leases and after school.26 the Family Investment Center, is affiliated with the “Anytime Anywhere Milwaukee. Use of a HOPE VI Learning” network, facilitated by grant for the Parklawn development Microsoft. The cyberschool has a permitted HACM to reduce density, unique curriculum featuring a wireless initiate some amount of income mixing, data network system where students can upgrade an aging infrastructure, alter the operate laptop computers and access the development’s appearance, and add new Internet from anywhere within the facilities. Density was reduced by building. Each student has his or her demolishing 138 deteriorated single- own laptop and uses it like a paper and occupancy units. In their place, in the pencil so that learning happens, literally, middle of the development, 20 new, anytime and anywhere; teachers market-rate, single-family homes were integrate technology into the curriculum constructed. The overall appearance of and communicate with parents and the property was improved by adding students over e-mail; and parents are triangular roofs, porches, and a cul-de- active participants and partners in the sac layout altered to include freer access, education of their children.27 through multiple entry and exit points, to the development. When the center was completed, the school hired all new teachers. It A notable component of the initially experienced some faculty revitalization involved construction of a turnover due to problems related to its Family Investment Center for use as a start-up status, such as working out cyberschool as well as rehabilitation of a disciplinary procedures, working YMCA and HeadStart center/preschool together as a team, backing one-another building. The HACM supervised the up, and learning the new technology. construction of the school building, According to local observers, the which was very important because the teaching environment is also especially charter school did not receive school challenging, given the level of behavior district funding for construction problems and learning disabilities among oversight. According to local observers, the students. the Authority’s expertise with respect to HUD’s construction rules and Tacoma. The THA’s HOPE VI regulations was critical to getting the grant for its Salishan development will building constructed on time. produce an increase in the property’s

27 Christine J. Faltz, Presentation to PRIMA, 26 See www.eastlakefoundation.org. June 2005.

25

size and density, resulting in more units As previously indicated, the and less yard and green space than the rehabilitation of the Lister School, which original development. Being serves the Salishan development, constructed in four phases, the property occurred prior to the housing will consist of 1,270 units when its final redevelopment efforts and the two were phase is completed in 2011. There will not coordinated. However, observers be 921 rental apartments and 349 owner- believe the school to be a selling point occupied homes, as well as an for some parents on the waiting list for education/technology center and a health housing at Salishan. Beyond the clinic. Phase I of the project, which is physical upgrading of the school, there completed, involves 270 rental units was no overarching school reform or affordable to low-income residents, 120 improvement initiative. Neither district market-rate home ownership units, 55 nor state-level school officials were subsidized rental units for low-income involved in the HOPE VI seniors, 11 renovated homes available redevelopment, except to the extent they for sale to low-income residents, and six had to shift teachers in order to account Habitat for Humanity homes. for the declining enrollment at Lister following initial demolition. Some Like many HOPE VI teachers assigned to the new Lister investments, the new development is School had been at the old school, while based on the concept that architecture others were moved from schools with has the power to transform communities declining enrollments. and the way people interact in them— reflecting such New Urbanism designs According to local observers, as placing doors and windows in the Lister has a district-wide reputation as front, facing the streets, to reduce crime one of the better elementary schools in and increase cohesion. Apart from the the community. The willingness of the THA’s plan, a long-term objective of the parents of 50 gifted children across the City is to stimulate development in the district to send them to Lister lends area surrounding Salishan, which is credibility to this observation. Initiated primarily residential but contains a to encourage desegregation, the program struggling business district consisting of permits “highly capable” students from strip-mall type shopping and no major across the city to attend two Self- grocery or department stores. It has contained Advanced Individual Learning prioritized this Portland Avenue corridor (SAIL) classes—a full-time program at for business development by landscaping the fourth- and fifth-grade levels in the median at Salishan. The city’s which students are grouped with a efforts have apparently been spurred, in teacher who has been trained in gifted part, by the HOPE VI grant. education. SAIL emphasizes the

26

mastery of basic skills at an accelerated units. An additional 80 scattered-site rate and the application of those skills to public housing units, located elsewhere an integrated curriculum.” Some refer to in City, completed the redevelopment Lister, therefore, as a technology magnet plan. According to the director of the school, even though it is only a magnet Community Services Department (the for the SAIL program. city’s PHA), Emily Nottingham, the objective was to create a safe, vibrant The school’s footprint will not community that would look good and change in light of relocation, and it will bring about a psychological change on still serve the neighborhoods the part of residents and others such that surrounding the school. Lister’s all would be proud of the area and see it principal, in conjunction with the THA’s as a place of opportunity and a good HOPE VI coordinator, attempted to place to live. devise a plan to allow children who temporarily moved out of Salishan to be With receipt of HOPE VI, the bused back to the school after they city’s revitalization plan for Barrio Santa moved, but neither the school district nor Rosa, in which Posadas Sentinel is the Authority had funding to allow this located, evolved to include a “village to happen. Children who move beyond center.” This contains a new child the school’s busing footprint can still development facility (with day care and attend the school, but their parents are Heard Start); a new learning center responsible for their transportation. (operated by the library system and And, students who move outside the emphasizing computers and job busing footprint can ride the bus that training), both funded by HOPE VI; a collects gifted students, provided their remodeled community center (including parents bring them to an existing bus a new wellness center) built with bond stop. funds; and an upgraded park supported by the city’s Parks and Recreation Tucson. A year following Department. receipt of a HOPE VI planning grant to Tucson in 1995, the City received HOPE In the early 1990s, prior to VI funds for the demolition of 200 units redevelopment of Connie Chambers, the (131 of which were occupied) of its School Board floated a large bond issue Connie Chambers development. that included funds for upgrading the Demolition began in 1999 and a new Drachman Elementary School that development, Posadas Sentinel, was serves Connie Chambers. Drachman constructed in its place. It consists of 60 draws from the broader neighborhood public housing units and 60 affordable and accepts students from other areas as (Low Income Housing Tax Credit) rental well, yet roughly one-third to one-half of

27

its students resides in public housing. mayor’s wife was a teacher at the school Originally built in 1950, by the 1990s it contributed to the perceived legitimacy was too small and had become outdated. of the revitalization effort—furthering a feeling of trust and general excitement While the form that the school about the changes to the school and upgrading would take had not been neighborhood. Likewise, the central determined when the bonds were issued, school district was supportive of the local observers indicate that what was plan. They worked with the City (PHA) finally done was influenced by the to coordinate bus drop off and broader HOPE VI-inspired installation of lights to improve the neighborhood plan. The city and School general area around school, and Board jointly purchased the land on negotiated an agreement for use of the which the former La Reforma public playground that serves the school by housing development, demolished years other community members. before, had been located, and rebuilt the school on that site next to a learning and District of Columbia. The child development center.28 DCHA has not yet linked school improvement to any of its completed In rebuilding the school, neither HOPE VI redevelopments, but has plans its curriculum, staffing, governance nor for doing so at three HOPE VI sites funding arrangements were altered. currently under way. According to local While passage of the bond issue may observers, it was not the residents but have indicated voter recognition of the Housing Authority personnel who raised need for physical change at Drachman the HOPE VI-schools linkage issue, and other district schools, the school had believing that vibrant neighborhoods a good reputation. Drachman’s needed good schools. principal, Gloria Barnett, stayed with the school throughout the process, as did the At DCHA’s Eastgate teaching staff. development, involving 286 units (100 low income senior rentals, 61 public Drachman School had been seen housing rentals, and 125 mixed-income as a vital educational institution and homeownership units), the Authority is community resource. According to working with the Mayor’s Office to several local observers, the fact that the dedicate property taxes from the homeownership units, in the form of

28 The historical significance of the original payments in lieu of taxes, to the school Drachman School was basis for some system for use in funding new school community objection to the plan, which involved construction in the neighborhood. redeveloping it into senior housing. DCHA is leading this effort. The

28

Authority is also working with the plan was “pretty far down the pike,” yet school system in considering how to best the school system had not been leverage these funds. included—even though a new school was part of the plan. DCHA, however, At the Arthur Capper/ used its good offices and worked with Carrolsburg Dwellings development, the Mayor’s Office to involve the school consisting of 707 public housing units in system as well as to facilitate the near southeast quadrant of the City, coordination among the various HOPE VI funds are being used to create agencies—those responsible for parks, 1,597 units. There will be 707 public libraries and schools. housing units, 480 market-rate units, 118 affordable homes for purchase, 50 Based on their real estate Section 8 homeownership units, 140 expertise, DCHA officials concluded market-rate homes for purchase, and 90 that many existing schools serving market rate condominiums, as well as children residing in public housing are in office space, retail space and a such poor condition that improving their community center. DCHA has invested physical condition will go a long way to in a Funding Opportunity Study for the achieving more general school school system, focusing on the Van Ness improvement. Although DCHA wants Elementary School that serves this area. the new facilities to be “community The study has been adopted and used by schools,” meaning the doors stay open DCPS in their facility planning, which past 3 p.m. and the building is a involves a new school. The Authority is community asset, there are no other also working with the school system to specific planned staffing or curricular build two other new schools in the area. changes with respect to any of the new schools. DCHA officials believe that, in Finally, at the former 650-unit time, Superintendent Janey will bring Frederick Douglass and Stanton about system-wide reform. Dwellings, a new Henson Ridge Summary. HOPE VI development will consist of 320 revitalization activities have occurred, homeownership units for mixed-income and continue to occur, in each of the five occupancy and 280 mixed-income rental communities. They have produced units. Plans also call for construction of better and more appealing physical multiple new facilities in a campus structures, more income mixing, and environment, including a new school, more community facilities than had been Turner Elementary, as well as a new the case on any of the sites before library, community center, and childcare redevelopment. In some instances center. According to local observers, the HOPE VI redevelopment is also tied to

29

broader neighborhood revitalization in Atlanta. Those involved in the one way or another. In four of the collaborative that supported communities, and planned for the fifth, redevelopment of Atlanta’s Centennial there are improvements to the schools as Place and Centennial Elementary School well—including the creation of a new saw their primary objective as “making charter school where there had been no families successful;” this meant focusing school before. The role played by on the health, well being, security and HOPE VI and local housing authorities safety, and education of residents, not in the school-improvement initiatives, just their housing conditions. however, varied considerably, as did the processes by which the improvements To measure educational came about and the extent to which they outcomes, the collaborative partnered went beyond the upgrading of physical with Professor Thomas D. Boston of facilities. Georgia Tech’s School of Economics. He has examined, and continues to examine, student trends at the Centennial

Place School using demographic, AHA 4. Accomplishment and follow- administrative, and school test data. To on. Those who promote greater linkage date, he has concluded that student between HOPE VI redevelopment and performance has increased in every school improvement emphasize the fact subject in the years Centennial Place that linkage produces synergy; it School has been operating.29 Likewise, enhances prospects for a more viable, AHA officials believe it is important to sustainable, mixed-income community compare each school associated with with better opportunities and outcomes public housing to the top performing than would be the case if only one or the schools in high-income areas as well as other occurred. Proponents also believe in the district as a whole. By 2002, that “success breeds success;” once the Centennial had become the 11th ranked value of linking HOPV VI with school school in the district, compared to 60th in improvement becomes evident within a 1995. community, it is likely to be repeated in additional neighborhoods. The AHA is also interested in demographic changes at Centennial The logic is persuasive, but what Place School. While it continues to are the experiences of the various serve primarily an African American communities? What outcomes have been sought, are they being achieved, 29 The Performance of Elementary Schools in AHA’s Revitalized Mixed-Income Communities, and do they lead to subsequent efforts? 2005. In the future, Dr. Boston intends to focus

30

student body, officials point to its teachers and staff. In addition, Principal increase in economic diversity as an Kuhlman is in close contact with the indicator of success. Also, in terms of AHA’s Community Outreach Director at its geographic draw, the school has Centennial Place. They share become a popular choice for households information about families that may be living outside the neighborhood, even having difficulty and attempt to help though Centennial Place residents have them. Finally, the school has maintained priority and are guaranteed admission. a number of partnerships with local When Principal Kuhlman is asked, “how business and institutions—the Coca Cola do I get in?” she responds, “move here.” Company, Southern Company, and Georgia Tech—to provide mentors, According to AHA officials, tutors and other enrichment activities. other key performance measures— indicating the development is attractive, Local observers contend that the crime is down, and the school is perception of Centennial Place and performing—all show success. As a Centennial Elementary School as result, they assert the Authority has successful has had derivative benefits. gained credibility, and that those For example, while the state was community members who had believed apparently “silently supportive” of the AHA could not revitalize both the Centennial Elementary School’s development and the school have had to transformation at the time it occurred, reconsider their view. officials began to embrace the school more openly once it was viewed as a Equally important to the AHA, success. An indication of this support the partnership that produced these was the fact that Georgia’s governor outcomes continued in a number of chose to hold a press conference on the ways. The two principal advocates for premises to announce his appointment of HOPE VI-school improvement linkages, the head of the State Board of Education. Renée Glover and Norman Johnson, go Perceived success also contributed to to Centennial Elementary at the start of increased community acknowledgement each school year to meet with teachers that linking public housing and school and reinforce the vision of Centennial improvement was, indeed, possible, and Elementary and Centennial Place as early on encouraged a partnership outstanding places of opportunity and between Tom Cousins and the AHA in excellence. They also return at other the comprehensive redevelopment of the times and sponsor a breakfast for East Lake neighborhood.

Desiring to take a holistic specifically on public housing children who attend Centennial. approach to community revitalization,

31

not simply to redeveloping a housing Soon after the redevelopment of complex, Cousins observed, “We set out the Villages at East Lake and opening of at the beginning, and it’s still our the Drew Charter School, Cousins objective, to create a model for urban observed that crime in the development renewal.”30 Prior to its redevelopment, was down 96 percent, resident East Lake was considered to have been employment averaged 80 percent to 90 one of the worst areas in Atlanta because percent, and over one-half of the of its high level of crime, drug residents earned more than $15,000 per trafficking, and social pathology. Only year compared to 12 percent in AHA five percent of fifth graders attending the properties system-wide (Cousins 2001). neighborhood public school had been Likewise, in 2006, East Lake able to pass the state mathematics Community Foundation Director Carol examination. “Our objective,” according Naughton reported that the area was to Cousins, “was to get to the children prospering. before they could get hooked on drugs or a life of crime, because that’s the kind of Property values have increased more than anyplace else in the Atlanta future most of them seemed to be metro area, leaping 43 percent facing.”31 In addition to creating a new between 2000 and 2001, the year charter school, therefore, the after the Villages at East Lake was completed. According to Naughton, revitalization involved establishment of the average home price in the East the East Lake Family YMCA, the Lake neighborhood was $45,000 in 33 Sheltering Arms Early Learning Center, 1996. Today it’s $280, 000. and the Charles Yates Public Golf With respect to demographics, 32 Course. virtually all of the students at both the original Drew Elementary School and 30 See www.georgiatrend.com/site/ the new Drew Charter School are page7350.html. African American (Boston 2005). 31 Ibid. However, in 1995-96, 100 percent of the 32 Drew Charter School students use the YMCA students at the Drew Elementary School facility for their physical education classes and some after-school programs. The Atlanta Speech qualified for free or reduced lunch, School uses Drew’s facilities for professional compared to 68 percent in 2002-2003. development, Emory University provides psychological services for students, and a partnership with the University of Georgia’s Based on CSMpact, a survey athletic department provides Drew’s students conducted by Harris Interactive that with coaches and mentors. See www. nationalschoolsearch.org/honors/school.asp?intS solicits ratings on a 1 to 10 scale, where choolID=22. The East Lake community has an array of other partners, as well. See of equity partner, development entity, lender and www2.cybergolf.com/sites/courses/printPage.asp landowner. ?id=346&page=8831. The AHA’s relationship 33 to the East Lake Community Foundation is that See GeorgiaTrend, www/georgiatrend, op cit.

32

10 is the best: students rated their overall examination. As of 2004, 73 passed the satisfaction with the Drew School 7.1, reading examination and 69 percent their teachers 8.5, and their equipment passed the mathematics examination.34 and facilities 7.1; faculty rated their According to East Lake Community overall satisfaction 7.2, their students Foundation Director Naughton, Drew 6.9, and their principal 8.8; and parents Charter School, which extends through rated their overall satisfaction 8.0, the middle school, currently ranks in the top quality of feedback on their child’s 4 of the area’s 19 middle schools. performance 8.9, the curriculum and training 8.5, and the equipment and Milwaukee. HACM officials facilities 9.2. According to the school’s believe the new cyberschool built on the Annual Report 2001-2002, its faculty Parklawn site was a selling point for and staff use this information to develop some of their 20 market-rate a fact-based strategic plan to improve homeownership units. Several of the satisfaction (Boston 2005). children who live in those units attend the school. In that respect, and by Dr. Thomas Boston has increasing the percentage of Parklawn compared the original Drew Elementary children who ultimately graduate from School, the Drew Charter School, and high school with appropriate the Atlanta Public School system using a technological and social skills, the variety of indicators. His conclusion is school has the potential to begin to as follows: “break the cycle of poverty,” according to Executive Director Perez. Drew Charter School students have demonstrated a significant increase The vast majority of cyberschool in their academic performance. Test results have revealed that in each students either live in Parklawn (40 consecutive year, students are percent) or the surrounding achieving higher test scores. neighborhood, and 53 percent of Nevertheless, the tests results are not as significant as those achieved Parklawn families have at least one child by Centennial Elementary and in enrolled in the school. As a charter some instances, Drew’s student[s] school, it is not eligible for still perform below the APS transportation funding, which increases average. (Boston 2005) the likelihood that students will be Other measures of student neighborhood residents. Current performance also show marked enrollment is almost 400, with 94 improvement over time. In 2001, only 32 percent of fourth graders passed the 34 See National Review Online, Martin A. Davis, state’s reading examination and 15 “Schools Fit for King,” January 18, 2006, at percent passed its mathematics www.nationalreview.com/comment/davis200601 180939.asp.

33

percent of the students eligible for free and that residents do not have to remain or reduced lunches and 50 students in poverty. designated “special needs.” Virtually all (99 percent) of the students are African A common objective for student American. success is every student reading at grade level. Faltz routinely collects data and Cyberschool founder and reports to the state on the percentage of Executive Director Faltz observed that students who do so, although she the beautification of Parklawn, the new considers that standard to be somewhat homes in the middle of the development, unfair given the level of behavioral and and the cyberschool all send the same learning problems among cyberschool message to the children and their students. Believing that the standard parents: someone believes in their ability should involve improvement on an to succeed. She sees the school as individual level, to control for new helping to achieve the HOPE VI students coming into a program who program’s self-sufficiency outcome may draw down the success rate, she objectives for Parklawn—i.e., that every also tracks separately the progress of school-aged child is in school every day children who entered the school at the and learning; academic excellence is preschool or kindergarten levels. The achieved by every school-aged child; vast majority of that group is learning at every non-disabled, non-elderly adult is grade level.37 Finally, she emphasizes working or in school full time; youth the importance of attendance as a graduate from high school and continue measure of success. Beyond the in post-secondary education or enter the outcome monitoring done by Faltz, no work force, job ready; and residents additional evaluation has been done of 35 transition into homeownership. the cyberschool’s impacts. Toward those ends, a primary goal of the school is “to turn out students who have The partnership that evolved mastered academics in a computerized between HACM and the cyberschool has environment, giving them the same continued past the development stage in advantages as students whose families several ways. The cyberschool board 36 own computers.” Faltz hopes that the President, Susan July, is the Economic physical changes to the development, as well as the self-sufficiency supportive 37 The 2004-2005 Programmatic Profile & services provided as part of HOPE VI, Educational Performance, conducted by the Children's Research Center, indicates the signal that there are resources available following proportions of students having reached mastery or progressed one level: 97.3 percent in 35 Ibid. language arts; 95.3 percent in math skills; and 36 96.9 percent in technology skills. Hunt, op cit., p.10.

34

Development and Supportive Services to have improved conditions in a number Manager for the City of Milwaukee. She of respects. Based on data collected by serves as President in light of the the Authority in 1997 and 1998, before Housing Authority’s financial interest in redevelopment, and later in 2001: the school. Also, Executive Director resident employment levels improved Perez helped the Cyberschool from 36 percent to 55 percent; reliance renegotiate the interest rate on its loan, on TANF dropped from 31 percent to 5 an Authority maintenance employee percent; and the crime rate dropped from provides maintenance for the 80 Part 1 criminal offences to 51. Also, cyberschool, and quarterly meetings are between 1999/2000 and 2001, resident held between HACM and cyberschool ratings (“good” or “improving”) of the officials. HACM had been involved in ability of their children to play outside school-related programs as part of a increased from 46 percent to 85 percent; Public Housing Drug Elimination of their access to needed services Program (PHDEP), which focused on increased from 66 percent to 82 percent; preventing gang-violence and teaching and of their health increased from 59 children not to bully, join gangs, or take percent to 88 percent. drugs. Tacoma. THA Executive HACM’s involvement with the Director Michael Mirra’s goals for the cyberschool motivated staff to consider new Salisham development are to help additional ways to improve the linkage residents become successful as: tenants, between public housing and schools. by providing bigger, newer homes in a For example, a staff member at one of development free from stigma; parents, the developments noticed that some by providing a stable place to live and parents continued to send their children dental and medical care on-site by a non- to schools outside of their residential profit organization; wage earners, by neighborhoods after moving to HOPE providing a stable place to live, VI developments despite the availability construction jobs on-site, and an FSS of higher quality schools located closer program; and children/students, by to the developments. That staff member providing a safe living environment, has spent time counseling parents on after-school and summer programs, a 38 their educational options. Otherwise, computer lab, and health services. there has not yet been a subsequent instance where HOPE VI has been linked to school improvement. 38 Other THA objectives involve building all units and infrastructure according to construction More generally, HACM officials standards and establishing the financial stability of the development through the sale of market- believe the redevelopment of Parklawn rate units.

35

The THA has collaborated with The redevelopment of Salishan the Lister school regarding joint has had, and will continue to have, short- programming, but not related to school term effects on Lister School as children improvement. For example, it partnered and teachers have to change schools. with the school as well as a non-profit For example, the student body fell from organization and the City Parks and 551 to 352 primarily as a result of Phase Recreation Department to provide 1 demolitions.39 And, there is some afterschool and summer programs in the concern that the school will not be able Salishan development when funding was to absorb all of the students from available from HUD’s Drug-Elimination Salishan once redevelopment is Grant program. When the program was complete, since the development is terminated, the Authority began increasing from 835 to 1,270 units. In discussions with the former school that case, nearby schools will likely principal to consider possible new absorb Salishan students who will be funding possibilities; those discussions unable to go to Lister. Some local have not yet resumed with the new observers consider that a positive Lister principal. The THA has also outcome for the nearby elementary partnered with Washington University to school, because its enrollment has been organize a computer laboratory for falling recently. Salishan residents in a Parks and Recreation building. The laboratory was According to Lister School funded through HUD’s Neighborhood Principal Ray Maltos, the school’s Networks initiative for technology and objective is to have all students learning employment training, and will be at grade level and meeting WASL rehabilitated under HOPE VI. standards in reading, mathematics, writing and science. From the THA’s The THA has connected with the perspective, success should also be Lister School for other purposes as well. measured in terms of health (i.e., In the past, school officials requested absences due to illness), safety (i.e., that the Authority’s case worker staff parental perceptions of neighborhood assist in communicating with parents of safety), children attending school truant children and increasing parental regularly (i.e., the absentee rate), and involvement in their children’s education academic standards of achievement (i.e., among non-English speaking parents. In meeting WASL standards, learning at a few instances, caseworkers had grade level, and graduating from the interpreted for parents during meetings elementary, middle and high schools). with the school.

39 Some of the change may also be due to declining elementary enrollments citywide.

36

In fact, the school’s WASL scores have While the school system was fallen somewhat with the movement of already prepared to physically upgrade students both in and out of the school, the Drachman School prior to the City’s but for those who started at the school in receipt of HOPE VI funds, grant kindergarten and remained there, the planning played a role in the school’s scores are much higher than average. relocation to a different site.40 No independent studies have been According to local observers, the initiated to evaluate change at Lister. connection between Drachman’s improvement and HOPE VI enlarged the Principal Maltos does not foresee renewal vision beyond what would have major changes in the demographic occurred had only the school been characteristics or incomes of the student upgraded or Connie Chambers been body as a result of HOPE VI, mainly redeveloped. The newly constructed because all of the low-income rental Drachman School is considered to be the units are going to be replaced. THA anchor to the village center of Barrio Executive Director Mirra, however, Santa Rosa. believes that the income and demographic characteristics of Salishan From the Housing Authority’s will change due to the new perspective, the image of a good school homeownership units, and sees this is important, but it was not the income mixing as a positive outcome of Drachman School that stigmatized the the HOPE VI redevelopment. neighborhood prior to HOPE VI. The perception of the area as dominated by Tucson. Barrio Santa Rosa, in “the projects” and being unsafe was which the demolished La Reforma primarily responsible for its negative public housing property and the image. That has since changed, redeveloped Connie Chambers property however. Recently, Sunset magazine, a were located, had been the focus of City journal of Western homes, gardens and renewal interests for many years prior to travel, named Barrio Santa Rosa its 41 HOPE VI. But it was HOPE VI that, in “Best New City Neighborhood.” addition to revitalizing Connie According to one local resident, it was Chambers, facilitated the latest wave of “a very scary place” when he moved activities, resulting in upgrading of an there in 1989 but, since then, has existing park and expanding community amenities (a recreation center, library, 40 A Section 202 Supportive Housing for the and childcare center). HOPE VI also Elderly development was built on the land that was formerly the site of the Drachman school. helped to encourage others, like Habitat 41 Thomas Stauffer, “New Homes Reflect Area for Humanity, to work in the area. Heritage,” Arizona Daily Star, January 20, 2006.

37

become a “friendly, ethnically mixed outcomes related to the revitalization neighborhood of younger families and would be particularly difficult to longtime residents . . .”42 develop, given the transience of many families in public housing. In terms of HOPE VI outcomes, Tucson’s PHA executive director, Emily The collaboration that occurred Nottingham, focuses on certain among the city, Housing Authority, and indicators, such as crime statistics, but is Drachman School is, today, discussed more interested in measures of only in the past tense. Relationships community perception. Although no continue to be cordial, but there is no formal study has been undertaken, she ongoing effort to keep those who were would like to do neighborhood surveys involved connected; they consider the to examine changes in residents’ views. work of the partnership to have been Drachman School officials are also not completed. The Authority received a tracking school performance in relation second HOPE VI grant and, initially, to neighborhood revitalization, and considered involving the local school in would not consider this to be a measure joint improvement, but decided of success. Their monitoring of student otherwise after learning the area was performance relates to the fact that they under a desegregation order and, consider Drachman to be a quality accordingly, the school was considered a school, not tied to the neighborhood or magnet, not a neighborhood school. to the Connie Chambers revitalization. Housing Authority officials also believe District of Columbia. When the city received its first HOPE VI grant in

42 1993, the PHA was considered one of See Sunset magazine’s Web page, www.sunset.com/sunset/home/article/0,20633,11 the worst in the nation; consequently, 45609,00.html. The neighborhood was seeing HUD would not provide grant funds some signs of gentrification even before its HOPE VI grant, particularly on the edges and the directly to the Authority but, instead, to side that meets the downtown, where some an alternate administrator.43 According offices and homes were being remodeled. During the revitalization of the Connie Chambers to one observer, development and the rebuilding of Drachman School, some local residents expressed concern Basically the housing authority was about the possibility of being pushed out of the totally dysfunctional when the grant neighborhood by rising taxes brought on by was awarded; [it] ultimately went gentrification. The city, consequently, instituted into receivership. So that was one a program whereby people at or below 60 situation. And the district percent of median income who owned homes prior to HOPE VI could be reimbursed for any government was also dysfunctional tax increase over and above the city increase. and was under the control board, so it The city ultimately paid out very little under this program, but it apparently served to assuage community concerns. 43 Raffel et al., p. 133.

38

was in a severe deficit position and related to the revitalization of Centennial 44 [the] staff were very demoralized. Place and the Villages at East Lake, as At the same time, mismanagement and well as broader revitalization issues. bankruptcy of the school system led the While some data are available appointed D.C. Control Board to take it elsewhere, however, in none of the other over in 1996, despite the reform efforts communities has there been a formal being attempted by various groups. The assessment of the range of outcomes situations of the city, DCHA, and school sought by most HOPE VI grantees system made efforts to link HOPE VI related to school performance, family revitalization and school improvement stability, crime and safety, or residential all but impossible. and community attitudes.

The Control Board is no longer Although the collaborations that in existence and, unquestionably, joined public housing revitalization to conditions have improved with respect school improvement in Atlanta and to city government, the PHA, and school Milwaukee continue in various ways, system. And, all parties have taken steps that has not been the experience to improve coordination and establish everywhere; there are, however, some more productive relationships. This is a residual relationships in all cases. And, work in progress, however, and has yet Atlanta is the only community among to accomplish a coordinated public those studied that, so far, has extended housing-school improvement project of the linkage between HOPE VI the sort witnessed in the other revitalization and school improvement to communities. other public housing revitalization efforts. Summary. Atlanta authorities have sponsored independent studies to None of this detracts from the track and evaluate student outcomes accomplishments of the respective communities related to HOPE VI renewal or school improvement but, 44 Ibid, p.137. Known as the District of instead, serves to sharpen an Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority, the “Control understanding of the kinds of forms that Board” oversaw most of the City’s decisions in HOPE VI-school linkages can take in the late 1990s. Congress proposed the Board in 1995 to restore financial stability after the City’s different communities across the debt had climbed to $722 million and showed no country. signs of a turnaround. It consisted of five citizens appointed by the President and approved by the Congress; see www.thewashingtonpost. com/wp-srv/ local/longterm/library/dc/control/ controlqa.htm.

39

into mixed-income communities. Those Summary and Implications examples have served as tacit role models for what it means to link the two It is difficult to argue with the together, and are often what proponents assertion that when public housing have in mind when suggesting that revitalization is effectively coordinated HOPE VI projects should include with neighborhood school improvement, school-improvement requirements. prospects for mixed-income communities are enhanced and Though still somewhat early to opportunities for residents are expanded. evaluate long-term outcomes where Practitioners and researchers alike have HOPE VI has been linked to school been learning over the recent past that improvement, it is not too early to achievement of longer-term positive document the various conditions and outcomes for low-income residents of processes that have been involved in public housing, particularly involving different places. Knowing that is their economic and personal well-being, important in light of the possible policy often requires more than solely risks and opportunity costs associated providing good-quality housing. with mandating school reform as part of HOPE VI undertakings across the board. What is debatable, however, is To further the policy how best to effect a linkage between conversation on this subject, this public housing revitalization and school analysis began with an identification of improvement. That is unsettled, in part, communities where, according to because there has been little opportunity knowledgeable observers, HOPE VI had to establish best practices. But an been explicitly linked to school equally powerful reason is that policy improvement. From among the conversations dealing with this topic communities identified, a sample of five have not been especially explicit was selected for study. Selection criteria regarding what it means to join public ensured a diversity of geography, housing revitalization with school variations in the extent of income improvement. Understandably, such mixing, and inclusion of both public and discussions have relied heavily on a very charter school forms. Site visits and few prominent examples of interviews were conducted to learn what neighborhoods, such as in Atlanta, occurred in such places, what were the where failing schools were rebuilt and “outputs,” and what were the early reformed as a direct consequence of the outcomes. reconstruction of severely distressed public housing and its transformation

40

In all of the communities, school improvement to HOPE VI distressed public housing developments revitalization, the strategy of the housing had been renewed and transformed into authority is to focus on school better-designed and higher-quality reconstruction finance and development housing, with at least some emphasis issues—seeing school placement and placed on income mixing through the rebuilding as playing a role in inclusion of market-rate rental or neighborhood economic improvement homeownership units. That is where the and contributing to other positive similarity ends, however. changes.

As of early 2006, schools have Charter schools were begun in been built or renovated in four of the two instances, one involving conversion communities, while the fifth is from a public school and one involving a systematically laying a foundation to newly built school where none had link HOPE VI to school rebuilding in the existed before. Educational and future. In two communities, the curricular innovations and fresh staffing neighborhood elementary schools that occurred in both. served HOPE VI revitalized developments had not been considered Variations have also been failing but only in need of physical apparent in the aftermath of public upgrading. In one instance, no housing revitalization and school partnership explicitly linked school improvement. In three of four cases rebuilding to HOPE VI revitalization where schools were upgraded, for and, in another, HOPE VI contributed to example, there is formal tracking of a decision about where to locate a school student performance in conformance but otherwise played no role in its with state or federal requirements but no improvement. independent evaluations being done or contemplated of the revitalization’s In two of four communities effects—in general or with respect to its where school improvement occurred in relationship to school improvement. In conjunction with HOPE VI, the school two communities, collaboration across revitalization efforts had begun prior to the school and public housing sectors the housing authorities’ receipt of HOPE either did not continue or continued only VI funding and involved an upgrading of on a limited basis following the initial physical plant but no changes to school collaborative. And, in three of four personnel, educational programs or communities there has yet been no curricula, which were not deemed subsequent collaboration linking needed. In the community yet to link additional public housing revitalization to school improvement—in some

41

instances because of desegregation some, but not necessarily to others, that policies that decouple schools from such linkages can be very complicated neighborhoods. and are often context-sensitive— dependent on some combination of These variations in no way political will, timing, circumstance, diminish either the public housing or interpersonal relationships, leadership school improvement accomplishments of skills, etc. Hence, what transpires or the various communities. They do succeeds in certain instances may not suggest, however, that HOPE VI-school transfer to others. This suggests that improvement efforts tend to be either public or foundation initiatives opportunistic experiments that are not intended to promote linkages should not cut from the same cloth. They also presume or mandate a particular show that certain presumptions about model—including one that requires a such linkages should be set aside, failing school or that HOPE VI be the including that: only failing neighborhood inspiration for school reform. Instead, schools serve the residents of severely public mandates or foundation distressed public housing; school investments can attempt to create improvement involves staffing and incentives for local stakeholders to craft educational or curricular changes as well unique approaches adapted to local as physical revitalization; HOPE VI circumstances. precedes and stimulates school improvement; and concomitant HOPE One way to promote further VI and school improvement initiatives linkage is for the public sector or are uniformly the result of formal, cross- foundations to facilitate the sharing of sector collaboration. These different experiences in order to further presumptions are not uniformly valid. refine the issues, carrying forward the conversations now sporadically taking At minimum, the preceding place among practitioners, researchers, observations should be considered and other stakeholders. Many schools cautionary to philanthropic foundations serving low-income residents of public or policymaking bodies interested in housing developments as well as the connecting local housing and education developments themselves will continue sectors. The five community examples to require upgrading of one kind or add nuance that is useful for another into the foreseeable future. understanding variations in the Considerable amounts of money and preconditions, collaboration effort will be spent doing both. To the arrangements, and implementation extent they are done in relative isolation, processes that are in play in different do not take advantage of relevant kinds of situations. It may be obvious to experience, fail to include potentially

42

valuable stakeholders, or are not based outcomes, develop a typology of models, on authentic partnerships, the and continue to synthesize this body of effectiveness and efficiency of such information. A serious, and focused efforts are likely to be problematic. In research investment at this time, fact, however, it is not yet clear what supported either by public or foundation experiences are relevant to what resources, would move toward circumstances, which stakeholders are establishing some consistent output and valuable, and what kinds of partnerships outcome measures as well as assembling are authentic. That is why more a rigorous body of knowledge about conversation, and research, is necessary. what works and under what circumstances. Such research could How to link school improvement contribute enormously—ensuring that to public housing revitalization is too future linkage efforts are based on fact important a question to be answered and experience as well as on desired primarily by anecdote and hearsay. objectives. That could be as valuable a Additional investment in systematic contribution as continuing to work at the research is needed to increase the grass roots to connect the public housing number of empirical observations, track and schools sectors. existing efforts, rigorously evaluate

43

References

Boston, Thomas D., “The Performance of Elementary Schools in AHA’s Revitalized Mixed-Income Communities, April, 2005. Chung, Connie, “Using Public Schools as Community Development Tools: Strategies for Community-Based Developers, Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University and Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, 2002. Cousins, Thomas G., “Mixed-Income Housing: The East Lake Experience,” Testimony to the Millennial Housing Commission, March 12, 2001. Eisenberg, Eric M., “A Communication Perspective on Interorganizational Cooperation and Inner-City Education, in Leo C. Rigsby et al., (eds.), School Community Connections: Exploring Issues for Research and Practice, Jossey-Bass Publishers: San Francisco, 1995. Gray, Barbara, “Obstacles to Success in Educational Collaborations,” in Leo C. Rigsby et al., (eds.), School Community Connections: Exploring Issues for Research and Practice, Jossey- Bass Publishers: San Francisco, 1995. Jehl, Jeanne, Martin J. Blank and Barbara McCloud, “Education and Community Building: Connecting Two Worlds, “ Institute for Educational Leadership: Washington, DC, 2001. Khadduri, Jill, Jennifer Turnham, Anne Chase and Heather Schwartz, “Case Studies Exploring the Potential Relationship Between Schools and Neighborhood Revitalization,” Abt Associates, Cambridge, MA, 2003. Moore, Don, “Changing the Ground Rules,” Shelterforce Online, 2001 (www.nhi.org/online/issues/118/Moore.html). Myerson, Deborah L., “Sustaining Urban Mixed-Income Communities: The Role of Community Facilities, Urban Land Institute, Washington, D.C., 2001. Myerson, Deborah L., “Mixed-Income Housing: Myth and Fact,” Urban Land Institute, Washington, D.C., 2003. Proscio, Tony, “Schools, Community & Development: Erasing the Boundaries,” The Enterprise Foundation, Columbia, MD, 2004. Raffel, Jeffrey A., LaTina R. Denson, David P. Varady and Stephanie Sweeney, “Linking Housing and Public Schools in the HOPE VI Public Housing Revitalization Program: A Case Study Analysis of four Developments in Four Cities,” 2003 (www.udel.edu/ccrs/pdf/ LinkingHousing.pdf). Schubert, Michael F. and Alison Thresher, “Lessons from the field: Three Case Studies of Mixed-Income Housing Development,” Great Cities Institute, Chicago, 1996. Smith, Alastair, “Mixed-Income Housing Developments: Promise and Reality,” Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University and Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, 2002. Turbov, Mindy and Valerie Piper, “HOPE VI and Mixed-finance Redevelopments: A Catalyst for Neighborhood Renewal,” Metropolitan Policy Program, The Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C., 2005.

44

Turnham, Jennifer and Jill Khadduri, “Integrating School Reform and Neighborhood Revitalization: Opportunities and Challenges,” Abt Associates, Cambridge, MA, 2004. Urban Land Institute, “Engaging the Private Sector in HOPE VI,” Washington, DC, 2002. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, “HOPE VI, Best Practices and Lessons Learned 1992-2002,” Washington, D.C., 2002. Varady, David P. Jeffrey A. Raffel, Stephanie Sweeney and Latina Denson, “Attracting Middle-Income Families in the Hope VI Public Housing Revitalization Program,” Journal of Urban Affairs, Volume 27, June 2005.

45