Affordable housing organizations are concerned primarily with helping as many low and moderate-income households as possible achieve decent, affordable housing.  But housing units do not exist in a vacuum; they affect the neighborhoods they are located in, as well as the lives of their residents. The mission statement of Minnesota Housing (stated above) reiterates the connections between housing, community, and quality of life. This study explores the ways in which affordable housing impacts such community and quality of life factors. Minnesota Housing and the affordable housing community can use his information in several ways. First, the information will be helpful in establishing affordable housing policies. For example, research has found that high concentrations of affordable housing can have a negative impact on crime rates, while smaller-scale and dispersed projects do not. Second, the affordable housing community can use the information to promote affordable housing in communities that are skeptical about it.