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[quote=Anonymous][quote]Many people assume that poor people "naturally" live in poor neighborhoods, and that anti-poverty programs — like emergency food banks, job training centers, and affordable housing — should be concentrated there as well. But in fact, the vast majority of the Washington region's poor people live in non-poor neighborhoods. They may need information and assistance finding the support services they need, especially if they live in car-dependent suburban communities or if they don't understand English well. But poor families generally benefit from living in well-off neighborhoods where streets and parks are safe, grocery stores sell healthy, affordable food, and the public schools perform well.
High-poverty neighborhoods — like those east of the Anacostia River in D.C. — didn't occur "naturally" nor do they reflect the "choices" of poor families about where to live. Instead, these places represent the legacy of decades of racial discrimination, legally sanctioned segregation, and public housing policies. And our map shows just how stubborn this legacy is; despite dramatic demographic and economic changes sweeping the Washington region over the past two decades, poor black families have remained highly concentrated in D.C. neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River.
Tackling poverty in the Washington region poses multiple challenges for area policymakers. It's not just a city problem; suburban communities need to deliver support and opportunity too. It's not just a neighborhood revitalization problem, although overcoming the legacy of segregation in the District's poorest neighborhoods is critical. It's not just an English-speaking problem; communities across the region have to reach out to a growing population of immigrants, many of whom speak little English. And it's not somebody else's problem; explore our map and you'll likely see that poor people are among your neighbors.[/quote]

http://dcist.com/2012/02/where_poverty_lived_then_and_lives.php[/quote]

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