Anchoring Diversity? Public Housing and Racial Stability in White Gentrifying Neighborhoods

Source abstract

Gentrification, the process of rising property values and socioeconomic upgrading in low-income neighborhoods, has long been associated with the displacement of communities of color. Yet questions remain about whether certain institutional features, such as public housing, can stabilize neighborhood racial composition amid gentrification. To address this issue, this study examines census and American Community Survey data with the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Picture of Subsidized Households dataset from 2000–2020. We evaluate whether the presence of Black and Hispanic residents in public housing predicts the persistence of predominantly mixed-race neighborhoods during White-led gentrification. Results show that Black public housing shares only significantly increase the odds of predominantly Black neighborhood stability, while Hispanic shares are increasingly predictive of some mixed Hispanic neighborhood stability. These findings suggest that public housing can function as a conditional institutional anchor, moderating racial change even as broader market forces continue to reshape urban neighborhoods.