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The issue of poverty is exacerbated by the concentration of low-income families in neighborhoods of concentrated disadvantage. Public administrators in housing and social services are uniquely situated to address poverty and concentrated disadvantage through an explicit housing with services agenda. This article provides a theoretical and empirical review of issues associated with poverty and concentrated disadvantage from the perspective of subsidized housing provision. The review leads to the recommendation that administrators provide housing with services. The article finishes with an agenda for placing standardized assessments that are connected to evidence-based services within the delivery of public housing.

Research suggests that neighborhood processes, such as collective efficacy, have a meaningful impact on families and are potentially modifiable factors that can be targeted by interventions to improve outcomes for residents of low-income neighborhoods. The present study examines relationships between the two component parts of collective efficacy (neighborhood social cohesion and informal social control) and three measures of material hardship (food security, housing security, and unmet medical need), in a stratified random sample of households in low-income neighborhoods ( N = 7,496). Confirmatory factor analyses indicate that collective efficacy is best represented as two factors rather than one factor. Multilevel structural equation models show that social cohesion at the individual and neighborhood levels, but not informal social control, is predictive of material hardship. Although statistically significant, these results must be interpreted with caution as social cohesion accounts for only a small portion of variance in hardship outcomes.

Comprehensive Community Initiatives (CCIs) are of growing interest to social work and the social services field as they are an effort to move away from remediation of individual problems within neighborhoods to a comprehensive change effort that builds resident and institutional capacity for long term sustainability of healthy communities. Built on ongoing lessons learned from the community development field, CCIs are largely foundation supported projects that engage low-income neighborhood residents in a holistic change effort. However, based on what is known about community organizing, CCIs will likely face challenges as long as they involve a top-down approach with an outside funder entering a community to make change. This manuscript frames an adult education model of resident participation that can be used in CCIs and provides a case example illustrating the model in action. A discussion of how the model can be an effective means for communities to take advantage of outside resources while maintaining their power and voice for change is offered in conclusion.

Parent involvement is associated with child academic outcomes, positive behaviors, and social skills. This qualitative study explored school-based parent involvement barriers experienced by nine low-income mothers. In-depth interviews were used to collect data from mothers participating in a community-based program offered in a large public housing neighborhood. Findings included three main barriers: (a) cultural and language differences in their children's school, (b) undertones of racism from teachers and parents, and (c) being the primary caregiver or sole provider for their children. Although all parents experience challenges to school involvement, low-income mothers face additional obstacles preventing them from engaging in their children's schools. This perceived lack of school involvement can lead to feelings of helplessness, shame, and stigma.

The Point-In-Time (PIT) count is currently the leading source of data on those experiencing homelessness in the United States. However, the PIT has been criticized for its lack of reliability, validity, and ability to capture an accurate numerical count of the homeless population. Additionally, many argue that annually a nontrivial amount of resources is spent on the PIT, yet the product from this count does not provide adequate information to address the issue of homelessness on a local, state, or national level. Findings from this comparative case study approach confirm that the cross-site methodology is inconsistent, and therefore the PIT yields inconsistent results. Implications and recommendations for local, state, and national service providers and policymakers are provided.

The concept of social capital is being applied to community-based antipoverty programs across the country. Despite its increased presence in program theory research on the process and effects of social capital are lacking. This study tests the direct and moderating relationships between race and ethnicity informal neighborhood bonding social capital, and poverty on employment for households in low-income urban neighborhoods. Findings reveal a direct and inverse relationship between informal neighborhood bonding social capital and employment, suggesting that social capital is not a cure-all for families living in low-income neighborhoods. Implications for social workers include carefully considering the types of social capital used in program theory and practice, and whether the specific types of social capital are appropriate for intended program outcomes.

Abstract: Social capital has recently become a guiding theoretical framework for family interventions in low‐income neighborhoods. In the context of the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Making Connections initiative, this research uses hierarchical linear modeling to examine how neighborhood characteristics and resident participation affect bonding social capital in low‐income neighborhoods. Findings demonstrate that participation, homeownership, and neighborhood stability are associated with bonding social capital. Additionally, significant interactions exist between individual characteristics and neighborhood income on bonding social capital.