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Articles

Encouraging Residential Moves to Opportunity Neighborhoods: An Experiment Testing Incentives Offered to Housing Voucher Recipients

, &
Pages 230-260
Received 31 Oct 2015
Accepted 09 Jul 2016
Published online: 05 Oct 2016
 

Abstract

Substantial benefits can accrue from living in low-poverty neighborhoods, yet approximately 80% of the 2.2 million Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) recipients rent homes in moderate- or high-poverty census tracts. The Chicago Regional Housing Choice Initiative tested several ways to promote opportunity moves. It included the first experiment that tests whether two types of light-touch incentives induce opportunity moves for HCV recipients who had requested a moving voucher. Based on the 2,005 HCV recipients in the study, we found that neither the offer of a $500 grant nor the offer of a $500 grant coupled with free mobility counseling induced opportunity moves. The receipt of mobility counseling also did not boost opportunity moves. Regardless of the type of offer, 11%–12% of participants moved to opportunity neighborhoods. Despite requesting a moving voucher, half of the study participants remained in place, indicating significant barriers to moving. We offer potential reasons for the results and conclude with two recommended pilots to increase opportunity moves.

Acknowledgments

We wish to thank the many people who helped make this study happen. First, we wish to thank The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation for funding this research through Grant 101434-0. The work that provided the basis for this publication was also supported by funding under a grant with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research. We also acknowledge the staff from the seven PHAs who administered the moving briefings that were at the core of this study. Housing Choice Partners (Christine Klepper, Executive Director) provided the mobility counseling and data about that counseling for the study. Breann Gala who was then working at the Metropolitan Planning Council organized the regional effort, and Robin Snyderman helped to carry out the regional plan through BRicK Partners. We also thank the Chicago Regional Housing Choice Initiative advisors for the time they devoted to the project. The advisors are: Alex Polikoff, BPI Chicago; Paul Fischer, retired professor, Lake Forest College; Barbara Sard, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; Ianna Kachoris, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Ingrid Gould Ellen, New York University; Jeff Lubell, Abt Associates; Juanita Irizarry, Friends of the Parks (formerly with Chicago Community Trust and Office of Illinois Governor Pat Quinn); Kalima Rose, PolicyLink; Mary K. Cunningham, Urban Institute; Phil Tegeler, Poverty and Race Research Action Council; and Stephanie DeLuca, Johns Hopkins University. Cole Sutera provided excellent programming support and was a critical member of the research team. Lydia Tagavi and Ndeye Jackson matched study data to PIC data. Kaitlyn McClain, formerly with the Metropolitan Planning Council, transcribed housing authority sign-in sheets into usable, digital data. We thank Jennifer O’Neil for her input on mobility counseling programs. Thank you to Rolf Pendall for generously sharing Urban Institute’s Neighborhood Advantage Score data set. The substance and findings of the work are dedicated to the public. The authors and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this publication. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the government, The MacArthur Foundation, RAND Corporation, Housing Choice Partners, or the Metropolitan Planning Council.

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