To me it seems as though there hasn’t been any genuine effort to economically address the situation. The Philadelphia Housing Authority built 88 units for $35 million, or $400,000 per unit. http://aldianews.com/articles/politics/housing/pha-2015-88-units-35-million-and-dawn-sharswood/41835

On the other hand, these 2 bed/ 2 bath units are being sold commercially in Philadelphia (presumably at a profit) for a little over $200,000: https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/512-W-Montgomery-Ave-B1_Philadelphia_PA_19122_M44610-99262

It reminds me of a high school built in NJ in about 2010 at a cost of $185 million (or about $462/sq ft). It still is one of the most expensive public high schools ever built and is currently ranked by at least one source as the 36th worst high school in NJ. http://newbrunswicktoday.com/article/nj-monthly-ranks-new-brunswick-high-school-36th-worst-nj

I don’t have an answer to the problem – but throwing money at it in the form of housing vouchers doesn’t seem to be working: https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/06/section-8-is-failing/396650/