{
  "id": 1740782,
  "title": "Young people in public housing less likely to be involved in crime",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/young-people-in-public-housing-less-likely-to-be-involved-in-crime",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-18T16:00:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-08-young-people-housing-involved-crime.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A University of Otago study reveals that young people who have lived in public housing for at least a decade are significantly less likely to commit crimes or be crime victims compared to their peers in the general population. Lead researcher Dr. Chang Yu examined nearly 10,000 young individuals aged 14 to 24 who resided in public housing continuously between 2013 and 2022. Despite facing socioeconomic disadvantages, these long-term public housing residents had fewer interactions with the justice sector. The study, published in Social Policy & Administration, found that the protective effect of long-term public housing residence was especially strong among the most disadvantaged youth, including those who experienced childhood abuse and lived with a family member who had a criminal record. Despite a third of the public housing residents reporting childhood abuse, which is double the rate for the general youth population, being in long-term public housing significantly reduced the risk of criminal offending. Additionally, about half of the public housing residents lived with family members who had committed a crime, double the 27% rate in the general youth population, yet the long-term housing provided a strong protective effect against criminal activities. The researchers conclude that housing stability can mitigate socioeconomic disadvantages, reducing the risk of criminal offending and protecting young people from becoming victims of crime by limiting their time in high-risk or transient environments.",
  "summary": "Young people who have lived in public housing for at least 10 years are significantly less likely to commit crimes or become victims of crime than their peers in the general population, a study by researchers from the University of Otago, Wellington—Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, Pōneke found.",
  "key_points": [
    "Young people in public housing for a decade less likely to commit crimes.",
    "Long-term public housing residence reduces criminal offending risk.",
    "Housing stability mitigates socioeconomic disadvantages for youth."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}