Fixing houses = fixing crime?

[Kulindahr]

I suppose it makes sense, since when people feel better about where they live they have more pride in themselves, but who would have predicted this?:

when houses/homes in a neighborhood get obviously needed repairs, crime in that neighborhood gets reduced:
home repairs funded by Philadelphia’s Basic Systems Repair Program (BSRP) are associated with a 21.9 percent reduction in total crime, and that the greater the number of homes receiving BSRP grants on a block, the more pronounced the crime reduction benefits were.

source: https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/home-repairs-crime-reduction/

Original paper:

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2782142

 

[ClubLevelVegan]

I suppose it makes sense, since when people feel better about where they live they have more pride in themselves, but who would have predicted this?:

I mean, I am personally not surprised that improving peoples material conditions would lower crime.

 

[Cormac135]

People used to go on about in the old days they could leave the front door unlocked and no one would come in and steal anything, probably because they had fuck all worth stealing.

One would think the more affluent a neighborhood looked the more chance of robberies.

 

[Kulindahr]

I mean, I am personally not surprised that improving peoples material conditions would lower crime.

The interesting thing is that the improvements are affecting other people, not just the property owners.

 

[rareboy]

We've known this for decades.

 

[Kulindahr]

People used to go on about in the old days they could leave the front door unlocked and no one would come in and steal anything, probably because they had fuck all worth stealing.

We had plenty worth stealing. Respect for others was just higher.

Heck, when I was in high school, people would leave tools and equipment out in the yard where anyone could walk off with thousands of dollars worth of stuff, but it just didn't happen. The only time I've experienced that recently was when there was a sheriff's deputy across the street and another around the corner, a city cop across from that second deputy, and a state cop around the corner the other way.

 

[Peloso]

Areas which are likely to have many homes in need of repair are also likely to suffer from many of the other evils imposed on the impoverished; bad policing, sub-par utility performance, not enough access to healthy food etc.

When people are treated like second class citizens, they know it, and they're going to revolt.

Crime is a wonderful way to revolt.

 

[Kulindahr]

Areas which are likely to have many homes in need of repair are also likely to suffer from many of the other evils imposed on the impoverished; bad policing, sub-par utility performance, not enough access to healthy food etc.

When people are treated like second class citizens, they know it, and they're going to revolt.

Crime is a wonderful way to revolt.

It's an inefficient way to revolt since crime is almost always directed against the criminal's peers.

 

[Peloso]

^ Not all crime. White collar crime almost always affects the middle class and the poor.

But you are right. People need to go to the wealthy neighborhoods to rob.

 

[Kulindahr]

^ Not all crime. White collar crime almost always affects the middle class and the poor.

But you are right. People need to go to the wealthy neighborhoods to rob.

Interestingly, back before zoning separated people more by financial status, more crime hit the wealthy.

 

[Kulindahr]

^ Not all crime. White collar crime almost always affects the middle class and the poor.

But you are right. People need to go to the wealthy neighborhoods to rob.

Interestingly, back before zoning separated people more by financial status so much, more crime hit the wealthy.

 

[Kahaih]

The linked article talks specifically about homicide, assault, and robbery, without saying if robbery was personal or home robbery.

It seems to be focusing on violent crimes committed against persons, rather than home break-ins.


The second link, 'original paper', wouldn't let me in.

 

[Kulindahr]

The linked article talks specifically about homicide, assault, and robbery, without saying if robbery was personal or home robbery.

It seems to be focusing on violent crimes committed against persons, rather than home break-ins.

That the definition of robbery varies from place to place doesn't help. Pennsylvania's:

The term robbery in Pennsylvania is an umbrella term to describe a number of different types of offenses. However, robbery is defined in the state as the use of force against a person, or threatening to use force, while committing a theft crime.

So the location doesn't matter, just that force is used against someone.

The second link, 'original paper', wouldn't let me in.

Odd -- that's supposed to be the "open" link where people can view it without a subscription.

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

the illusion of Respect for others was just higher.

Amended for honesty?

 

[Kulindahr]

Amended for honesty?

It wasn't an illusion -- people actively looked out for each other and helped each other. If a window was broken in, they'd check to see if you were home, and if you weren't they'd call you, not the cops, and often stick around to help put a board over it temporarily. If someone passing by smelled smoke, they'd knock, and if you weren't home they'd check it out and if it was a fire they'd start dealing with it while calling the fire department.

 

[unloadonme]

I'm interested to know where the funds for this work come from. The linked article says:

"... grants awarded to low-income homeowners under Philadelphia’s Basic Systems Repair Program (BSRP) ... The BSRP ... is funded out of the city’s Housing Trust Fund ..."

Where does the trust fund get it's funds from?

 

[Peloso]

The linked article talks specifically about homicide, assault, and robbery, without saying if robbery was personal or home robbery.

It seems to be focusing on violent crimes committed against persons, rather than home break-ins.

Home break-ins would be burglary.

 

[Kahaih]

I'm interested to know where the funds for this work come from. The linked article says:

"... grants awarded to low-income homeowners under Philadelphia’s Basic Systems Repair Program (BSRP) ... The BSRP ... is funded out of the city’s Housing Trust Fund ..."

Where does the trust fund get it's funds from?

/\
Sort of off topic, to at least some degree, I suppose.

But, I'd be interested in knowing where the money goes, too. Surely the work has to pass inspection, so the contractors would have to be qualified, as well.

Locally, most such contracts/funds are, coincidentally, of course, awarded to buddies of the government officials who control the purse strings. This always makes the purpose of these grants, and their sales pitches , somewhat suspicious.

 

[Kulindahr]

Home break-ins would be burglary.

But by Pennsylvania's definition, if there is someone home and force is used against them, it's robbery.

This is the one huge reason comparing stats between jurisdictions is often misleading: they don't all define the crimes in the same way.

 

[Kulindahr]

I'm interested to know where the funds for this work come from. The linked article says:

"... grants awarded to low-income homeowners under Philadelphia’s Basic Systems Repair Program (BSRP) ... The BSRP ... is funded out of the city’s Housing Trust Fund ..."

Where does the trust fund get it's funds from?

I presume these are in order by amounts: federal grants, foundation grants, state grants; other state and local funding sources. Their easy-to-find information isn't really clear about sources. Reading between the lines it sounds like they get a portion of property taxes based on the rise in value of the repaired and neighboring properties; it also sounds like most of the money goes into something like an endowment, which is used in two ways: income from the endowment is available for grants, and the endowment itself gets leveraged to obtain very low interest loans.

/\
Sort of off topic, to at least some degree, I suppose.

But, I'd be interested in knowing where the money goes, too. Surely the work has to pass inspection, so the contractors would have to be qualified, as well.

Locally, most such contracts/funds are, coincidentally, of course, awarded to buddies of the government officials who control the purse strings. This always makes the purpose of these grants, and their sales pitches , somewhat suspicious.

Grants are made to people who have applied for help (I didn't pursue that, but if it's like in Oregon anyone who qualifies for energy assistance can automatically apply for help with home repairs, as well as people who qualify for food stamps -- when you get granted either of those, they automatically hand you a survey asking about home needs ranging from bad foundations, unsafe chimneys, roofing, old wiring, and more), and any licensed contractor can be hired. It thus serves as an employment program, too, plus job training.