The formation of housing policy in New York City, 1960–1970

During the 1960s, policy makers at three levels of government attempted to place New York's public housing in middle-income neighborhoods. The high cost of providing public housing, a desire for economically segregated neighborhoods and racial prejudice caused voters to reject this reform of housing policy.Since voter rejection caused a reduction in public housing construction, deterioration and abandonment of existing housing acquired added significance. By 1970, the consensus view among public leaders was that rent control caused housing abandonment and that liberalization of rent control was needed. Thus, public policy targets in the low-income housing market shifted from emphasis on construction programs to emphasis on preservation of existing housing. In the future, further information on the cost and difficulty of housing preservation is likely to require additional adjustments in housing policy targets.I am grateful to Frank Kristof for comments on an earlier draft and to Don Sexton and John Keith for their helpful suggestions on the topic. Comments by an anonymous referee were most appreciated.