Dynamics of Neighborhood Quality in Chicago

This report was authored by Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation (MDRC), and includes an evaluation of the New Communities Program (NCP). The NCP is a 10-year initiative to improve the conditions in distressed neighborhoods in Chicago. Authors explore the relationship between quality-of-life indicators over time in terms of safety, housing, and the local economy. Specifically, few of the indicators were strongly correlated at the same point in time, but they may occur before or after another indicator. For example, foreclosures were found to precede crime in these neighborhoods.