Neighbourhoods, local networks and the non-linear path of the expiration and preservation of federal rental subsidies

Abstract

With the increased demand for urban living by high-income households, sponsors of subsidised affordable housing face significant pressure and incentive to opt out of their subsidies and sell or redevelop. National evaluations of HUD data have illustrated the number and characteristics of buildings lost and the neighbourhoods in which they are located, but little has been done to better understand the specific outcomes, including the events leading up to preservation or loss of the subsidised buildings, how they were preserved or lost and what actors were engaged in the process of preservation. This study examines the ways buildings have been preserved and lost in Washington, DC, USA, to better understand the ways that local and state governments might intervene to preserve housing. I argue that affordable housing preservation is not a simple or linear process. Instead, it requires multisector monitoring, data and tools. First, there are multiple opportunities in which to intervene in the process. Second, data from all parts of the preservation puzzle are critical to the ability to intervene to prevent the loss of affordable housing. Finally, preservation is often a long and complex process that engages multiple actors at several levels, including tenants, organisers, attorneys and agency staff – and most importantly, flexible policies and funding sources.

Understanding the drivers and outcomes of public housing tenant relocation

“…This is operated through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), where building owners are contracted by HUD to offer Section 8 voucher housing. However, there is significant rate of loss of federally subsidised buildings due to building owners opting out of the system, and this is particularly concentrated in areas where gentrification pressures are strong (Howell 2018).…”

The Role of Local Housing Policies in Preventing Displacement: A Literature Review

“…A series of papers focusing on the preservation of affordable housing primarily in Washington, DC, (Howell 2016a(Howell , 2016b(Howell , 2018 but also in Chicago, IL and Austin, TX (Howell, Mueller, and Wilson 2019), examine the importance of interaction among different stakeholders-government entities, affordable housing advocates, and grassroots organizations-in facilitating the preservation and preventing displacement of low-income households. These studies emphasize that effective strategies require the collaboration of multiple city-and stateagencies, deep knowledge of local contexts, and availability of flexible policies and funding sources.…”

“…Residential displacement negatively affects the quality of life, health, and economic outlook for households, not just by disrupting housing stability but also by forcing some residents to move to less advantaged neighborhoods (Desmond and Kimbro 2015; Ding, Hwang and Divringi 2016; Marcus and Zuk 2017). Whether concerned with the efficiency of service delivery or preventing homelessness or furthering fair housing goals, planners need to understand where and how displacement occurs.…”