Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

A growing number of social service programs consider “community involvement” to be a desired outcome for their clients moving from crisis situations to self-sufficiency. The new assessment tools being utilized at such agencies reflect an understanding that progress towards self-sufficiency includes aspects beyond income and thus include measures of education, health, and other benchmarks. The proposed presentation is based on a project that examines the benchmark of community involvement as a goal.

The Anderson, located in the Bronx, New York and operated by New Destiny Housing, is a permanent supportive housing (PSH) model targeted to low-income and previously homeless domestic violence survivors. PSH, initially designed to serve single households with multiple barriers, has recently been adapted for families. The service model for domestic violence survivors is based on the expectation that people with shared identities and a shared space will form a community that is universally positive and involvement in this community is beneficial. Transcripts from multiple interviews with thirteen survivors over a two-year period were coded for themes that reflected how residents view the building as a community. We utilized open-ended coding techniques to examine the experiences and interactions of residents. The process was collaborative and iterative, with the coding tool refined throughout the process as analyses revealed additional themes and disconnects.

Our findings complicate the assumption that community involvement indicates self-sufficiency and that such relationships are always supportive. Most residents experience a sense of community in terms of shared physical space and shared identity, and positive interactions exist. However, the system of supports was fragile and inconsistent at times. We discuss strategies to strengthen community building, including support groups and physical space designs. We also recommend a reexamination of the benchmark of community involvement for this and other low-income groups accessing social services.