Neighborhood Choices: Section 8 Housing Vouchers and Residential Mobility

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This book addresses the central question of whether it is possible to achieve the benefits of housing mobility offered by the Section 8 program while maximizing the degree of choice for householders. Although Gautreaux and MTO have been examined in several studies, few recent studies—with the exception of Goetz’s 2003 case study of the Hollman v. Cisneros litigation settlement in Minneapolis—have investigated the housing choices of residents in the regular Section 8 program. The need for information about the choices made by participants in the regular Section 8 program motivated the research presented here. What happens to families receiving vouchers that move without the benefit of intensive counseling or requirements to locate in low-poverty or low-minority areas? Where do they go? Will they choose to move to areas offering greater opportunities? What are the experiences of residents making the journey to more diverse neighborhoods? How do they fare? How can moves to better-quality neighborhoods be encouraged within the regular Section 8 program? This book focuses on the experiences of families receiving Section 8 housing vouchers in two programs: (1) the “vouchering out” of four federally subsidized private developments, where the residents were given only a bit more counseling than is provided in the regular program; and (2) the Section 8 program in Alameda County, where many inner-city families in Oakland and Berkeley were moving to suburban locations in the county—unlike in other metropolitan areas, where households with vouchers rarely cross the city/suburban boundary. Up to now, too little attention has been given to ways to improve the operation of the regular Section 8 housing voucher program. This book is aimed at reducing this gap in the literature. Chapter 1 begins with a discussion of housing vouchers and the reasons for interest in the approach as a means of deconcentrating assisted housing. The authors view the significance of results from the Gautreaux and MTO programs and from research on the regular operation of the Section 8 voucher program. They then summarize the research on the benefits of mixed-income neighborhoods for low-income families. Chapter 2 introduces the vouchering-out study (the study methodology, the socioeconomic and housing market characteristics of the four cities, and differences in the vouchering-out process and in the relocation counseling). It then describes the housing search process of the vouchered-out residents (the duration and scope of the housing search, the level and nature of discrimination that residents experienced). Next, it examines the migration patterns of the residents and the impacts these patterns had on their quality of life. Despite the fact that many did not want to move at all, after the move, most felt that they had improved their housing and neighborhood conditions as a result of the move. Certain types of counseling did help families carry out their moves. Contrary to what was expected, however, those who moved farther and who lived in more suburban-like settings were not necessarily more likely to be satisfied with their housing. The Alameda housing voucher study in chapter 3 begins with an overview of the East Bay area (including a description of the three housing authorities in the county) and a description of the methodology of the study—a comparative analysis of families making different locational choices after receiving their Section 8 vouchers. Probing into the families’ experiences, the authors’ analysis of the housing search produces a surprising result: Families moving to the suburbs were no more likely to experience problems in carrying out their housing search than were those making local moves. Similarly, in contrast to findings in previous research, those moving to the suburbs were no more likely to experience problems of adjustment at their new locations than were local movers. Even though they did not receive any special help from any of the housing authorities, these families actually fared quite well, and, in fact, were more likely to move into neighborhoods with higher incomes and property values than were local movers. Furthermore, those moving to the suburbs were more likely to perceive that they had experienced improvements in housing and neighborhood conditions; they especially felt a greater sense of safety. Chapter 4 summarizes the lessons learned from the studies and offers suggestions for making the regular housing voucher program more effective in promoting wider housing choices by low-income families.