Sociology Professor Johanna Bockman is collaborating on a public sociology project with Parisa Narouzi at Empower DC, Rhonda Hamilton at Syphax Gardens Public Housing, and Amanda Huron at the University of the District of Columbia. They are studying the perceptions of public housing among private housing residents living near public housing communities that are currently at-risk of displacement. They are specifically focusing on Southwest Washington, DC, a rapidly gentrifying area of DC where public housing represents most of the remaining affordable housing in the area.
The team poses several research questions: What are the attitudes among private housing residents towards public housing within their community? Can negative perceptions of public housing be shifted through the provision of information, such as data on the need for public housing, or personal interactions with public housing residents? And ultimately, can allies be developed among private housing residents for the goals of public housing preservation? They will use surveys, focus groups, and interviews to answer their research questions.
Their findings promise to help community organizers and public housing residents hoping to protect public housing in Washington, DC. Their work will also lead to new knowledge in sociology, especially in the areas of social movements, DC studies, and methodology.
The Sociological Initiatives Foundation has funded this project titled "Public Housing Perceptions."
February 26, 2016
