Affordable Housing and K-12 Student Racial Diversity Alison Denton, Ed.D. Arlington Public Schools Leckey Forum: Bricks and Books October 14, 2011

Housing & School Demographics Relationship is intertwined Creation of new housing and/or redevelopment of old housing stock has impact on enrollment of public school system Number of students Diversity of students Facilities Planning Enrollment projections Boundaries Capacity issues

3

4

Garden Apartments 5

Students by Housing Type

7

APS Racial Demographics by Housing Type ( ) Garden Apartments Asian: 13% Black: 22% Hispanic: 58% White: 5% Multiple/Other: 2% Total Non-White: 95% Single Family Detached Asian: 6% Black: 5% Hispanic: 15% White: 68% Multiple/Other: 6% Total Non-White: 32%

Research Questions 9

Summary of the Study Investigated the impact of garden apartment redevelopment on K-12 student racial diversity GIS (geographic information systems) analysis (2004 to 2008) Redevelopment of garden apartments County-wide Case study Relationship with changing student enrollment Survey of 93 “stakeholders” Residents of Garden Apartments Housing Advocates School and County Staff 10

Part One – Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Analysis What is the impact of the redevelopment of garden apartments (through renovation, conversion, or demolition) on student enrollment and racial diversity in the study area? Gathered relevant data sets 142 Block Groups from US Census 2004 and 2008 student enrollment data 2004 and 2008 parcel information from County Calculations (2004, 2008, Δ) Garden Apt Parcel Area per Block Group Total Students Total White and Non-White Students 11

12

Block Group Analysis Findings (2004 to 2008) BG that reduced Garden Apt parcels Total Students: -715 Non-White Students: -852 White Students: +100 No change in Garden Apt parcels Total Students: Non-White Students: -6 White Students: +952

Case Studies – Reduced Students 1.Conversion of Garden Apartment to Condominium Reduced total students by 53% (256 students) 94% of students were non-White 2.Renovation of Garden Apartment by for-profit developer 435 unit apartment complex Building improvements led to increased rent of $500+/month Largest reduction in non-White students (-339) 3.Demolition of Garden Apartment Replaced with high-prices condos Total students decreased 7, non-White 9 14

Case Study – Increased Students 4.Renovation of Garden Apts by non-profit developer 465 rental unit complex renovated in 5 phases Families relocated onsite during construction Partnership with County govt – financial package 75% of units preserved as long-term affordable Increase of 54 students, 51 were non-White 15

Summary of GIS Findings Countywide Analysis Reduction of students when Garden Apt parcels are reduced Total Students Non-White Students Case Studies Four types of redevelopment Affordable housing development can increase students 16

Part Two – Surveys Participants Recruited 93 participants in 3 groups: Residents of garden apartments (n = 39) Housing advocates (n = 25) County and School System staff (n = 29) Procedures Online and hard copy 20 question survey Multiple choice, open-ended, Likert-scale questions Spanish and English Data analysis to determine significant differences between survey groups and other demographic variables 17

Survey – Demographics Mean age: 37 62% Female, 32% Male Race Latino 47.3% White 46.2% Black 3.2% Interracial 2.2% Other 1.1% Family Income Less than $25K/yr 38.0% $25-$50K/yr 18.5% $50-$100K/yr 15.2% Greater $100K/yr 28.3% 18

Perceptions – School Advocacy Racial diversity should be a goal – 55% Housing Advocates 80% Staff 75% Residents 29% Schools should pursue ways to maintain or increase diverse population – 65% Residents 77% Support individual students of color otherwise displaced - 67% Residents 73% 19

Schools & Affordable Housing: Potential for Increased Partnership Source of data to measure demographics Current state Impact of development Voice for most vulnerable students Race, income, language Redevelopment effects our poorest students Advocates for thoughtful strategies to redevelop Potential opportunities to create school/community space in new developments 20

Questions? Alison Denton, Ed.D