Evaluating the Impact of the HOPE VI Public Housing Revitalization Program on the Families of the Lafayette Gardens Housing Development

"With a $34.1 million HOPE VI grant from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Jersey City Housing Authority (JCHA) demolished the severely distressed 492­unit Lafayette Gardens housing project, and in its place built several low­rise, mixed­income developments. As part of this HOPE VI project, 483 families living in Lafayette Gardens were relocated to the new developments, existing JCHA facilities, or placed in the open market with or without Section 8 rental housing vouchers. The JCHA commissioned the Capstone team to evaluate the impact of the HOPE VI project on the lives of these 483 families. Through the use of mailed surveys, interviews, and an analysis of existing data on the families, the team examined the effects of the HOPE VI program on the financial outlook, health, and perception of neighborhood quality and crime on the families of Lafayette Gardens. "