Journal Article

The Fair Housing Potential of Small Area FMRs in the Philadelphia Region

Abstract: The housing choice voucher (HCV) program, sometimes referred to as Section 8 vouchers, is the largest housing assistance program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), enabling over 2.2 million renter households across the country to access affordable, decent-quality rental units. Unlike project-based subsidies that make dedicated units available at below-market rents, the HCV program allows low-income households to select from units in the private rental market, subsidizing rents such that they do not exceed 30 percent of household income. In theory, the program enables households to access more opportunity-rich neighborhoods than would be attainable without assistance; however, researchers have extensively documented the underperformance of the program in this regard, particularly among voucher holders of color

Keywords: housing; poverty;

Bibliographic Information

Provider: Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia

Part of Series: Cascade

Publication Date: 2018-07

Volume: 2

Order Number: 99