RAND study reveals key strategies to boost housing voucher effectiveness

"The key takeaways from this research for our team were that the HCV program is, in general, doing a remarkable job of providing critical rental assistance but is hampered by many aspects of the incredibly difficult and unaffordable housing market in the U.S. today, said Jason Ward, co-director of the RAND Center on Housing and Homelessness and lead author of the report."

"This project was designed through the lens of action to make every voucher count, said Will Cooper Jr., president and co-founder of the Cooper Housing Institute. We asked, what can be done right now, by PHAs, their local partners, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, not what requires years-long processes. The findings show that practical flexibility, smarter processes, and modest supports can help more families rent housing quickly, bring more landlords to the table, and get more vouchers to families who need them."

HCV program provides critical rental assistance but faces substantial barriers due to the extremely tight and unaffordable U.S. housing market. Public housing authorities hold extensive practical knowledge and employ adaptive strategies to maximize voucher use. Recommended strategies include strengthening partnerships with local governments and nonprofits, improving landlord engagement, using flexible payment standards tied to local markets, extending search periods for families, issuing vouchers strategically, and expanding project-based vouchers for specific properties. Practical flexibility, improved processes, and modest supports can accelerate placements, attract more landlords, and increase voucher utilization to help more families secure housing quickly.

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