Congregate living may offer great potential for serving the frail elderly in public housing. To examine the short- and long-term outcomes of relocation to congregate housing, a 4-year longitudinal study compared the health, well-being, and satisfaction of 67 single individuals who moved into the Chicago Housing Authority's first congregate housing facility and 70 single residents who remained in service-minimal public housing. Resident assessments included a screening instrument, the Multi-Level Assessment Instrument, the Social Participation Inventory, the Service Utilization Survey, and outcome interviews. Environmental assessments were made using the Multiphasic Environmental Assessment Procedure and behavior observations. Staff records were also examined. The results indicated that in comparison with regular public housing residents, congregate residents had a lower mortality rate, lower personal adjustment scores, and lower satisfaction with housing quality and services received. A comparison of initial frail residents who stayed in regular housing with those who moved to congregate housing suggests that the negative effects of relocation may outweigh the benefits of enriched services for the more frail residents. (Policy guidelines and recommendations are listed; data tables and figures are included throughout the report.) (NRB)