Discussion Questions

Prepare for class discussions by answering the discussion questions.

1. How would you feel if you were working with a client who lived in a poverty-stricken, high-crime area of your town or city and the individual did not want to move, even when a potential opportunity to do so existed? What questions would you ask the client to assess the situation?

2. Do you believe it is possible to get to a point where we do not have such noticeably segregated housing in America? Obviously, some places are more segregated than others, but even decades after segregation laws were struck down, segregation continues to occur. Is it possible to alleviate it? Is it even desirable to eliminate it?

3. Imagine you have a client who lives in an impoverished area and she wants to know if you can truly understand what it is like to be in her shoes. She asks you if you have ever lived in such an area. How do you respond?

4. Should people who have committed felonies be eligible for government-subsidized housing? What if someone living in a subsidized home or apartment deals drugs out of the home and gets caught, is found guilty, and goes to prison? Should he or she be able to return to subsidized housing again in the future? Why or why not?