Residents of a public low-income housing project in Denver report that their building is facing profound neglect, calling it a “glorified homeless encampment.” Their story shows that it’s not enough to build public housing — we have to maintain it too.
Vienna found a weird workaround to make social housing not become slums: Let some influential people live there too. Don’t make it housing only for the poor. Make it housing for everyone.
In Vienna’s social housing, they mix almost all the social classes. Poor immigrants live there, as do young academics. Simple laborers live there, as do local politicians.
A government that doesn’t care can neglect a building full of folks who can’t stand up for themselves. They can not easily neglect a building that also houses outspoken, politically active educated folks. They can not easily neglect a building where some of them live themselves.
IIRC, before the second red scare in the US this was basically the plan… mixed income public housing.