life in clarendon heights

I really think that MacLeod's book is a great account of how hard life can be for those people who live in inner city and work in low income jobs. Many of the types of hardships that the residents of clarendon heights suffered from can be seen in our own city. Most of the housing areas in the slu midtown area are populated mostly by underclass residents. What can we do to change this type of squaller that these residents are forced to live in?