According to the authors of the report, Arthur Naparstek and Robin Smith of the Urban Institute and consultant Dennis Dooley, community building has transformed deteriorating public housing developments into thriving communities in some of the nation's most distressed cities, thanks to the shared efforts of public housing residents, managers, and community organizations.
Community building is values oriented.
It works in a manner that reinforces community values, strengthens families, and fosters citizenship and service. The report spells out the principles of community building, describes the factors behind its renewed use in fighting poverty, shows how housing agency managers can undertake and launch the strategy, and presents examples of its successful application. The authors demonstrate that community building, which revolves around residents taking on leadership and responsibility in their neighborhoods, has generated a positive philosophical shift in public housing policies and programs. Welfare reform and the devolution of responsibility away from the federal government . New insights into the nature and dynamics of poverty .