Guest Editors' Introduction: Housing programs, Assisted Populations, and Crime

Ron Wilson
Brent D. Mast
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

This symposium features rigorous research that objectively examines the relationship between assisted housing populations and crime. We use this symposium to identify and acknowledge the negative findings to more precisely identify their root causes and recommend appropriate policy responses. We also highlight the many positive findings regarding the effect of housing programs on assisted populations and their connection to crime problems. We particularly focus on how housing and criminal justice agencies can work together for a more unified approach to solving the problems assisted populations and their communities face. We hope the research in this symposium prompts more future research efforts to consider integrating knowledge from both criminal justice and housing research toward refining housing programs and policies to improve the quality of life with housing as a platform.