So I'm in Chicago. A major perception here is that the corporatism/cronyism of city politicians is contributing to these problems. People in poorer neighborhoods like Pilsen (mainly hispanic) pay their property taxes, etc to the city. This money then gets put in a general fund and is used to develop and maintain areas elsewhere (in the well-connected "rich" part of the city) rather than improving the neighborhood it came from. On top of this, many property owners in Pilsen are unable to pay lawyers to explain the tax code to them and so are unaware of many exemptions, etc. The overall effect of this is draining wealth from the poorer neighborhood into the hands of well-connected property developers.

Meanwhile, the people/organizations benefiting from the use of the public funds elsewhere (ie rise in property value) are able to build up wealth. They then start seeing the cheap property in Pilsin and begin buying that up, putting up more expensive housing (for "artists and college students") and forcing out whoever was living on the property to begin with (who never got to use their tax money to invest in projects that would improve lives of themselves and their children). Thus the process of gentrification begins.

So, amongst many, the current attitude is that "community organizing" is the way to go. Larger governments just keep fucking these people over.

Now, what to do about Englewood? I have no idea. That place is crazy. I've experienced first hand that if you're white and go there, cops and drug dealers and everyone hanging outside the liquor stores give you shit until you leave. I've been told by a first hand source you gotta bring your piece with to take out the trash at night (to scare off the crackheads walking at you down the alley and shit) and avoid certain entrance ramps onto I-290 (people pop out of the bushes and carjack you). It's not that these are bad people, they just live in a fucked up environment and need to be willing to do certain shit to survive.

*edit, second hand account is lawndale not englewood