Justice
The Scourge of Sexual Harassment in Public Housing
Complaints by women living in Baltimore public housing about sexual misconduct from housing authority officials signal a larger problem.
Women living in public housing have a difficult enough time keeping men out of their homes who’ve threatened to abuse them sexually. A 2002 study from the sociologist and researcher Walter DeKeserdy found that “Women in public housing experience more intimate partner violence, including sexual violence, than the general population.”
And yet, there are certain men that women in public housing can’t make persona non grata, even when those men display sexually threatening behavior, because the men work for the housing authority responsible for helping provide the women shelter. Allegations and evidence of sexual attacks by housing officials have surfaced in various cities in recent years.