Schools and neighborhoods in the United States remain segregated by race and income, while legal and political constraints have narrowed the tools available to policymakers. In this context, place-based approaches that link housing, education, and community development have reemerged as promising strategies for expanding economic mobility. HOPE VI—a $17 billion federal effort to redevelop distressed public housing into mixed-income communities—offers one of the most rigorous tests of whether neighborhood investment can shape long-term outcomes.

New longitudinal evidence following more than one million individuals over three decades shows that, while HOPE VI did not increase earnings for original adult residents, children who grew up in revitalized neighborhoods experienced higher adult earnings, increased college attendance, and lower incarceration rates. This webinar situates these findings within current policy and practice, highlighting implications for place-based strategy design.