Ninety percent of all CMHA residents felt safe on neighborhood streets in 2000, up from 78 percent in 1995. Between 1995 and 2000, the proportion of all residents perceiving crime problem getting worse declined from 37 to 14 percent. More than half of residents perceived drugs as a major problem in 1995, but only two-fifths did so in 2000. Varady opined that, in part, this change is likely due to an overall decrease in crime throughout U.S. communities. Cincinnati is no exception, he said.
Surveys show that residents support the stringent eviction policies.
The increase in racial diversity at CMHA, if confirmed by future surveys, would mirror national trends. Varady said there is a decades-long increase towards more ethnic diversity in U.S. neighborhoods. While CMHA has grown more competitive and entrepreneurial in recent years, it will probably have to work hard to continue attracting a diverse resident population, explained Varady. The housing market here is much looser than in other cities like New York. That might explain why a large proportion of residents surveyed expressed a desire to move.