A recent study conducted by New York University's Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy and its Institute for Education and Social Policy (IESP), points out that students who live in public housing are more likely to drop out of high school and less likely to complete college.  The study, which was featured in yesterday's New York Times, highlights the important work done by "I Have A Dream" to meet the needs of students in public housing:

"Ultimately, the lower academic performance of NYCHA students may result from some combination of all of the above factors—unobserved family characteristics, resources or behaviors, features of the public housing environment and unobserved differences in schools.

"Whatever the cause, these disparities require action. Our findings suggest that City, State and Federal governments should reconsider budget cuts and funding policies that threaten to reduce or eliminate NYCHA’s after-school and other enrichment programs for youth. NYCHA and the City should take a closer look at how they can learn from and coordinate with non-profit programs such as I Have a Dream, which provide critical support for disadvantaged youth in public housing. More research to identify which NYCHA youth succeed and what factors contributed to their success , would help inform future program development."

Read more:

Public Housting and Public Schools: How Do Students Living in NYC Public Housing Fare in School?

Children Who Live in Public Housing Suffer in School, Study Says (New York Times)